A POLICE officer who was headbutted while on duty in the city centre has been awarded £200 in compensation from his attacker.
PC Stuart King was patrolling Broad Street when he noticed security trying to separate two men outside the Crown Pub about 11.45pm on Saturday, March 29.
The officer approached the pair and he asked Phillip Kupfer, of Wood Terrace, to move away from the pub but he then turned and became aggressive towards the victim, Worcester Magistrates Court heard last Friday (October 3).
Kupfer was warned about his language but he squared up to PC King and headbutted him.
The 25-year-old then punched him to the side of the head which caused swelling to the officer’s temple, the court was also told.
After pleading not guilty to assaulting a PC in the execution of his duty, Kupfer was found guilty after a trial last Tuesday (September 30) and was sentenced on Friday.
He was handed a 12-month community order, with 12 months supervision, ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and ten sessions of the reducing violence programme.
Defending solicitor Mark Sheward said: “He’s found it difficult to control his anger due to the heroin addiction his brother has had.
“They used to be very close and talk about most things but since his brother has been gripped by this they have been ripped apart.
“It’s resulted in some form of frustration and that came across in how he behaved on that night.
“This is a man who is not before the court as regularly as he was when he was a younger man, he is trying to help himself now.”
Along with the compensation, Kupfer was also ordered to pay court costs of £350 and a £60 victim surcharge.
Chair of the Bench Peter Cound said: “The court takes a dim view of assaults on people who serve the public and more so on the police so I hope not to see you again because it could well be a different outcome for you next time.”
