Teen attacked cop

Published 24 Feb 2010 17:11 0 Comments

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By Rosalyn Campbell

A TEEN bit a cop's finger after officers arrived to break-up a large scale disturbance in a park.

Police were called to Gerry Park in Divernia Way, after receiving reports of youths drinking at around 8.20pm.

The officers spoke to four youths and took their booze away, Paisley Sheriff Court heard last week.

However, 16-year-old Ryan Watson took issue with the police and bit one of them.

Peter Galletly, fiscal depute, said one police constable had begun to escort the group of young people along the footpath towards the main road.

He added: "They effectively had to shepherd the group out."

However, Watson then began running down the path towards the officer - throwing punches at the policeman's head and right eye.

Mr Galletly said: "The police constable managed to grab hold of the accused who continued to punch him at the top of his head.

"Both the accused and officer fell onto the ground and as the officer tried to get to his knees, he was aware of the accused biting his right finger, causing it to bleed."

Another officer who helped to handcuff Watson was kicked in the leg.

He was eventually restrained by four cops, who carried him off to a police vehicle.

The court heard that the first officer suffered a laceration to his finger, while the second had a large cut on her shin.

Watson, 16, admitted to assaulting a police constable by repeatedly punching him on the head and biting him on the hand, all to his injury, and to assaulting a second officer by kicking her on the leg, to her injury.

He was cleared of charges of breaching the peace by shouting and swearing, of struggling violently with officers, and of kicking another officer in the leg.

Sheriff Colin Pettigrew said that he would be requiring full background reports and a community service assessment.

Siobhan Ramage, defending, said that she would give her plea in mitigation once these reports had been received.

Sheriff Pettigrew told Watson, of Connor Road, Barrhead: "An assault on serving police constables is a serious matter."

He added that he would also receive advice from the Children's Hearing as Watson is under the supervision of the children's authority - and told Watson to return to court on March 19, when 'all possible options' for his disposal would be considered.

This article appeared in Barrhead News 24 Feb 10

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