A West Cumbria man who assaulted two police officers as he turned violent after being arrested has been jailed.
Heavily convicted John Ian Pullin, 34, first tried to walk out of Whitehaven’s ASDA store, on November 1 last year, with £70 worth of alcohol and cigarettes.
Exactly one month later, on December 1, Pullin turned violent when police who had attended an unconnected incident had cause to arrest him.
He pushed a male constable with a degree of force and tried to headbutt a female PC. He then struggled and kicked out at the female officer with such force that his own training shoe came off.
A man with 103 previous offences to his name, Pullin pleaded guilty to theft and two assaults on emergency workers who had escaped injury.
Pullin’s barrister told Carlisle Crown Court today his offending was rooted in drug misuse and a lack of supportive and secure accommodation. This led to depression, anxiety and led to him feeling safer while in custody which, said Kim Whittlestone, was a “sad state of affairs”.
Pullin, of no fixed address, was jailed for a total of five months for the two sets of offences.
“They were fortunately not injured,” said Judge Nicholas Barker of the two police officers. “But nevertheless they had to suffer and sustain what was a violent altercation with you and that is simply not part of a police officer’s job.”
Judge Barker added: “This court will protect police officers from violence that is directed to them when they are going about serving the community and doing their job.
“They are police officers but they are also normal people who are not entitled to be assaulted.”
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