Former Chesterfield soldier assaulted police officers in stand-off over his son

Chesterfield Magistrates' Court was told that Liam Smith, 30, attacked the two officers after he was pulled over in Chesterfield Road, Brimington.

The court was told that Smith, of Top Road, Calow, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, had his young son with him at the time.

Prosecuting, Michael Little, said: “Police saw a silver Mercedes taking a right into a road that said no right turning. When he was stopped, the driver was very annoyed. They asked him repeatedly to get into the back of their police vehicle, but he had refused to get out of his own car.

“Mr Smith had his son in the back of his car and didn't want to leave him unattended but they said that his son could sit with him in the back of the police vehicle.”

Smith then appeared to to be attempting to restart his car engine, so one of the officers reached in and removed the keys, he said.

Smith had then jumped out of his vehicle and injured both officers, although he had no memory of one of the two assaults - which left a female officer with an injury to her hand.

Mitigating, Kark Meakin said: “He accepts that through this incident he has lost his head. He was with his son who is approaching his second birthday and didn’t want him to witness what was happening. He has expressed his regret for what happened and sends his apologies to both the police officers.

“He made full admissions at the police station about the assault on the male officer. He was not aware of the assault on the female police officer but accepts that he did it.”

“Between 2006 and 2014 he served in the British Army and completed three tours of Afghanistan.”

Smith admitted two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.