Man jailed for assaulting gay man and biting police officer
A Nottinghamshire man has been jailed after taking part in a homophobic assault and biting a police officer.
A friend of Samuel Clarke, 22, was physically assaulting a gay man, Mansfield Magistrates Court heard, when Clarke joined in, punching him in the face, Mansfield Chad reports.
Having been arrested, Clarke denied his part in the assault was homophobic, but a court determined that, as he had known his friend was motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation, his crime was aggravated by this factor too.
Clarke’s representation said he had been struggling with drug abuse problems and had been drunk during the assault.
Clarke was apparently angered by the police pushing him into a van and applying leg straps.
His lawyer added: “My client said they were treating him like a dog so he was going to behave like a dog.”
Clarke then bit one of the officers who had restrained him.
He pleaded guilty to assault, assaulting a police officer, cannabis possession and being convicted of an offence while on a community order.
District Judge Diane Baker sentenced him to 22 weeks in prison.
