A MAN grabbed a police officer around the throat while he was trying to detain him on suspicion of a crime, a court heard.

Lewis Wark was drunk when he was approached by officers while walking home from a Worcestershire pub and lashed out when they tried to detain him on February 8.

Kate Price, prosecuting, said the injured officer attempted to restrain the 23-year-old in a headlock as he thought his colleague was about the be assaulted.

In a statement read out in court from victim PC Pullen, he said: "I was grabbed aroun the throat. I punched Wark in the face with a hard grasp in an attempted to get him to release my neck. On the third attempt, he let go."

Wark was then tripped to the ground where he was put in hand cuffs.

Ms Price added after being arrested, Wark shouted abuse and threats towards PC Pullen and his family.

The officer was left with pain and stiffness to his neck, swelling to his right wrist and a small cut on his knee.

In mitigation, John Rogers said Wark, of Minster Road, Stourport-on-Severn, had little memory of what happened but believed he should not have been stopped in the first instance.

He said: "As he was walking away from the pub, an officer stopped him and told him he was being detained. He said he had done nothing wrong and why did the police constable stop him.

"Mr Wark accepts he put his hands around the throat area of PC Pullen."

Wark pleaded guilty to assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty when he appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, October 16.

Stephen Gillespie, chairman of the magistrates, sentenced him to a 12-month community order and ordered he pay £100 of compensation to the officer. He also imposed £85 in court costs and a £60 victim surcharge.