Derbyshire tenant attacked police officer during dispute at a block of flats

Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

A furious tenant ended up attacking a police officer who was trying to resolve a dispute at a block of supported housing flats.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on October 15 how Philip Gordon Holmes, 44, of Devonshire Close, at Newbold, Chesterfield, punched and grabbed the police officer as he was trying to get between a group of others and the defendant.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “Police received a 999 call and one of the officers who attended spoke to a female having difficulties getting into a flat and as he was speaking to this female and others Mr Holmes came from the region of the flats.”

Mrs Allsop added that Holmes was described as being aggressive and he was shouting to the group with the female and was raising his arms and he smelled of alcohol.

The officer placed himself between Holmes and the group as both Holmes and the female were shouting, according to Mrs Allsop.

Mrs Allsop said: “The officer pushed Holmes back to the flat to de-escalate the problem and told him to go back inside.

“A friend of Holmes’s intervened and stood between Holmes and the officer as he was trying to remove Holmes and the other male away from the situation but it did not work.”

Mrs Allsop added that Holmes came towards the officer with an arm raised and the officer was forced to discharge a Cactus spray and as he went to talk to Holmes he was attacked.

Holmes lunged towards the officer and hit him in the face and tried to punch him again as he grabbed him around the neck and the officer tried to get him off as others restrained the defendant.

The defendant told police he had been drinking ale and whiskey and when he was shown footage of the incident he could not believe what he had done and he was apologetic.

Holmes pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer after the incident on September 28 and he also admitted using threatening behaviour.

Defence solicitor Steve Brint said Holmes lives in an Action Housing block of flats where doors have been kicked in and someone has been mixing with undesirables causing trouble.

Mr Brint said Holmes had been trying to get a group out of the block when they taunted him and called police.

Holmes has mental health issues and he has been referred to a support group and is trying to be moved from the property.

Magistrates fined Holmes £40 and ordered him to pay £100 compensation, a £90 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

He was also given a 12 month community order with an Alcohol Treatment Requirement and a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.