Man called police and then became violent to them

Anthony Joseph James Hughes, whose address was given to the court as Hillcrest Mews, Craigavon, admitted two charges of assault on police last Wednesday at the local magistrates’ court.

He was fined £200 on each charge and ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy.

The court heard that on March 8 this year police went to an address in Craigavon after a report from the defendant about an ongoing disturbance regarding his son.

Both parties had alcohol taken.

The son was using the house as his bail address and Hughes wanted this withdrawn.

As police were arresting the son for breach of bail he became extremely violent.

Hughes then said ‘don’t you f—king touch him’ and proceeded to punch a constable on the back of the head at least four times.

He struggled with police and had to be restrained before being taken to Lurgan police station.

A female officer who was assaulted suffered pain to her wrist and shoulder and a male officer had pain to the back his head and his vision was blurred.

Mr Conor Downey, representing the defendant, said in his statement Hughes apologised for his behaviour.

He didn’t mean to do what he did.

He explained that the son had been misbehaving in the house and Hughes contacted the police. When police arrived the incident escalated.

Mr Downey said Hughes should have stayed out of the way and had nothing to do with it.

His last trouble like this was in 2006.