24 May 2023 , 21:53
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A thug yelled a six-word threatening message before breaking a police officer's arm in a drunken rage.
Peter Ellis, 39, attacked two cops who had responded to a domestic incident at his home in Seaforth, Merseyside, at around 11pm on February 4 last year.
He punched an officer in the jaw, screamed: "Don't you know I am?"
He then went on to yell: "I am the f***ing gold!" and then shattered his arm.
The man's girlfriend, Michelle Smith, then grabbed the injured police officer and kicked his broken arm several times, reports the Liverpool Echo.
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Ellis and Smith appeared in court today where they pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting an emergency worker and affray, with the woman facing an additional charge of grievous bodily harm.
Prosecutor Joanne Moore said two officers, PCs Bryson and Benson, had been called to the scene after Smith was seen screaming in the street, and when they arrived the 37-year-old "appeared intoxicated, slurring her words, unsteady on her feet".
PC Bryson attempted to talk to Ellis, who was also present, however "he was unable to have a conversation with Ellis because he was highly intoxicated and was aggressive, shouting 'do you know who I am?", the court heard.
Michelle Smith outside court (Liverpool ECHO)She said: "He was shouting, puffing up his chest, and when asked his name he responded 'I don't need to give you my f***ing name. Don't you know who I am? I am the f***ing gold!"
PC Benson pushed Ellis away and the pair scuffled, leading to Ellis punching PC Bryson and telling him: "I'm going to bite your face off."
Police bodycam footage played in court showed Ellis threatening the PCs, saying "the pair of youse, I will knock the f*** out", before struggling with PC Benson.
The pair fell to the ground, with Ellis landing on top of PC Benson, badly breaking his right arm.
Ellis and Smith smirked, rolled their eyes and shook their heads as the officer, in a victim statement, told the court how the incident had left him with long-term injuries which had forced him to step back from front-line police work.
He said: "On February 4, 2022 I came to work, and attended what I expected to be a routine report, of which I attended hundreds in the past. Little did I know I would be returning home with life-changing injuries.
"Looking back, I believe if I had attended that scene on my own it would have been so much worse, and I could have died. This is the first time in two years of policing that someone has actually attacked me... I could feel the bones grinding and crunching in my arm as we rolled around.
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"What made matters worse is (Smith) decided to kick me in that arm while I was vulnerable. She must have known I was seriously injured at the time., I was completely helpless and it was one of the worst feelings in the world."
He described how the attack left him feeling "degraded" as he was unable to do simple things like wash and dress himself, and had to rely on his girlfriend for help.
He said: "While you may not have any respect for the police, I'm a human being just like you, I have a family just like you, I have hopes and dreams just like you. I don't know if you ever thought about me, but I thought about you when I was lying in a hospital bed and receiving physiotherapy. Do you even care? Whatever punishment you receive from the court will eventually end, while I will continue to suffer from the injury inflicted by you."
Jim Smith, defending Ellis, said: "(Ellis) has sought therapy himself and is awaiting behavioural therapy, and is under the local mental health team. He suffers from complex PTSD owing to a life event which he suffered when he was a young man, which continues to affect his behaviour.
"He's somebody who has obtained employment, he's somebody who remains unlawful substance-free. He's somebody who contributes to the family as much as possible... It's a very different man you see before you today in court than that which committed the offences in February 2022."
Gary Lawrenson, defending Smith, said: "This was genuinely and completely out of character for this woman. She doesn't usually drink and she certainly hasn't since. She does take full responsibility for her actions. This is the first time that she's been before any court at the age of 37, a terrifying experience that she seeks never to repeat."
Addressing the pair, Judge David Hale said: "In February last year you were both completely drunk. You were out of control. You had come home; for whatever reason Smith started screaming she wanted to commit suicide. Your family rang police for help and two officers had the misfortune to answer that call, and they both got assaulted. Bryson in a minor way, being punched by Ellis; the other officer receiving injuries that are serious, that are probably going to be life-long."
Ellis was given a 12 month sentence suspended for two years, and was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation.
Smith was given a four-month sentence suspended for two years, and 20 days of rehabilitation.