A man from Bristol has been jailed after he refused to do a breath test, assaulted the police officer trying to arrest him and ended up getting pepper sprayed by police.
Michael Francis was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison and banned from driving for more than three years after the incident on the M4 in March this year.
The 45-year-old from Chapter Walk, in Redland, Bristol, was driving a black Lexus car along the M4 towards Bristol at around 11pm on March 18, magistrates in Bristol heard on Wednesday.
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As he was going between the two Swindon junctions, he passed a police officer on a motorway patrol who said she first saw his car approaching at speed behind her, then after he passed, she pulled him over because she was concerned at the manner of his driving.
Francis refused to do a breath test, so was arrested, but the court heard as the police officer was attempting to put handcuffs on him, he resisted and pushed her against the car door, injuring her arm, a spokesperson for Wiltshire Police said.
She recovered and sprayed Francis with PAVA spray, and police back-up arrived and he was arrested. He pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen of blood, failing to provide a specimen of breath and another charge of assaulting an emergency worker, and was brought back before magistrates to be sentenced on Wednesday.
Francis was jailed for 16 weeks, and disqualified from driving for three years and two months. He was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to the police officer, as well as a victim surcharge and court costs.
“Our officers are out on patrol on the roads of Wiltshire day and night to keep people safe and apprehend drivers who pose a risk to other road users," said Inspector Andy Moreton, from Wiltshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit.
“It is completely unacceptable when police officers are assaulted while carrying out these public duties, and I am pleased to see the courts acknowledging this and ensuring these offenders are taken off our streets," he added.
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