A DAD who tore a police officer’s bicep as he attempted to avoid being arrested has been spared jail.

Eric Micklewright seriously injured the officer after a drunken night out in Warrington town centre descended into a brawl.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday, September 5, that the 22-year-old and his friends were ‘play fighting’ with another group of men on Barbauld Street at around 4am on Wednesday, January 23.

All were under the influence of alcohol, and this quickly ‘developed into a real fight’ – with Micklewright kicking one man as he lay on the floor, before the pair began wrestling in the middle of the road.

Police attended the scene, at the junction with Rylands Street, and the defendant attempted to flee.

As one officer tried to arrest the dad to a four-year-old son, Micklewright’s efforts to escape resulted in him suffering a torn bicep in his right arm.

While he and another force colleague eventually managed to arrest the unemployed alcoholic, the officer needed surgery as a result of his injuries.

A victim personal statement read out to the court, which was also shown CCTV footage of the incident, heard that the PC was left ‘constantly stressed and anxious and in an extreme amount of pain’.

Micklewright, who is hoping to begin studying car mechanics at college, had earlier admitted a public order offence and assaulting an emergency services worker.

The Frodsham resident has six previous convictions for nine offences – including burglary, handling stolen goods, criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly.

Defence barrister Gareth Roberts told the court: “The defendant accepts that his actions caused the injury and that his stupidity and foolishness started the incident in the first place.

“He is sorry – he knows he has committed a serious offence and that assaults on emergency services workers will not be tolerated.”

Judge Robert Warnock spared Micklewright – who was supported in court by his mum and sister – an immediate jail sentence, instead handing him 10 months in prison suspended for two years.

He was also subjected to a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a six-month alcohol treatment programme, as well as being told to serve a three-month curfew.

Sentencing, judge Warnock said: “You got yourself rotten drunk and behaved in a way that is wholly inconsistent with the view your family will have about you.

“I imagine they are horrified by what they have seen today.

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“That night resulted quite predictably in the involvement of the police – you pulled away from one of the officers, and as a result he suffered serious injuries.

“You already have a significant criminal record, and the reason for that appears to me to be your abuse of alcohol.

“If you don’t address that, you will find yourself spending a substantial amount of time in custody – if you commit further offences over the next two years you will come back before me, and if you behave in the way I’ve just seen again you will go straight into custody.”

Micklewright was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge.