A man from Willaston who headbutted a police officer has been handed a suspended sentence.

Stephen Arthur Dockerill, aged 53, of Sulby Road, admitted the assault as well as disorderly behaviour on licensed premises.

He was sentenced to 36 weeks’ custody, suspended for two years and also banned from entering licensed premises, and purchasing or being sold alcohol for two years.

Dockerill was also made the subject of a two-year suspended sentence supervision order and ordered to pay £600 compensation to the policeman.

The court heard that Dockerill was arrested outside O’Donnell’s pub in Castle Street in Douglas on October 5.

Prosecutor Roger Kane told the court that police were called to the pub at 7.26pm after staff reported Dockerill was refusing to leave.

He was said to have attempted to assault door staff and was being restrained when police arrived.

He was arrested but tried to kick a doorman and was put on the ground and repeatedly swore and threatened pub staff.

As he was taken to a police van Dockerill butted his head backwards striking a police officer causing an injury to his lip.

When interviewed later he admitted the offences and said he wanted to apologise to those involved.

Defence advocate Ian Kermode said that his client would not oppose an alcohol ban.

Mr Kermode said that Dockerill had gone to the pub after rowing with his partner at home over decor.

’He accepts he had too much to drink,’ said the advocate. ’When a friend was asked to leave the pub he has become foolishly involved. There was some pushing and shoving with security staff.

He was taken out to Castle Street and whilst waiting for police accepts he had to be restrained. He accepted the facts. It was a backward movement of the head rather than forward. He wouldn’t have necessarily known which officer was behind him or his whereabouts.’

Mr Kermode went on to say that Dockerill had not had a drink since April before the incident on October 5 and that his partner relied on him as her carer, though he himself suffered from a long-standing back complaint.

The court heard that Dockerill was jailed for 14 weeks last year for common assault after punching a man in James Street.and has two previous convictions for assaults on police in 2001 and 2003.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes told Dockerill that he had an ’appalling’ record but that she had taken into account his and his partner’s ill health.

He was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.