A heroin addict punched an off-duty police officer in the face and threatened him and his friend with a broken bottle. The victims chased after him and tackled him to the ground before police arrived.
Jonathon Morgans, 45, approached Joseph Hurley in Cardiff city centre on June 9 last year and asked him if he wanted to buy drugs. Mr Hurley told him to "clear off" but the defendant responded by punching him to the face with a single blow.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard Mr Hurley could feel blood in his mouth and a cut to his lip. Prosecutor Clare Wilks said Morgans ran off but was pursued by the victim and his friend Jamie Bull.
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They chased the defendant down Church Street and when they reached Castle Street, Morgans met up with another man who passed him a glass bottle from a bin. He was seen to smash the bottle and held it by the neck and held it out towards the victims who kept their distance.
Ms Wilks said the defendant was approached by a woman who hit him with her bag and he dropped the bottle and ran off. Morgans ran back down Church Street but was taken to the floor by Mr Hurley and Mr Bull who were helped by members of the public. They called the emergency services and detained their attacker until the police arrived.
Morgans was abusive towards the police officers and told them "I've done f*** all". Mr Hurley was taken to hospital where he received treatment for a wound to the left corner of his mouth, which measured 3cm.
The defendant, of North Luton Place, Adamsdown, later pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and threatening a person with an offensive weapon. The court heard he had 72 previous convictions for offences of dishonesty, harassment, failing to comply with court orders, battery and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
In mitigation, Thomas Stanway said his client suffered a gash to the forehead and a black eye after being taken to the ground by the victim. He said the defendant was a heroin user of 10-years standing and turned to the drug after he lost his job and the end of his relationship. Since being on remand in custody he has become more stable and is on a methadone script, but one of his fingers is due to be amputated due to an infection.
Recorder Carl Harrison sentenced Morgans to a total of 54 weeks imprisonment. He will serve half the sentence in custody before serving the remainder on licence.
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