Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Homeless attacker threatened officer
Rough sleeper fled assault and lashed out at PC
A homeless man told a police officer he would “take his head off” after brutally attacking someone in Canterbury High Street.
CCTV captured Chris Leech, 24, pummelling a man and dragging him by his coat along the road, before again punching him and spitting on his victim.
Leech pleaded guilty to the latenight attack, being drunk and disorderly in a public place and assaulting a police officer when he appeared in the dock at Margate Magistrates’ Court.
Prosecutor Antonia Porter said Leech was seen on city cameras on September 10 last year, attacking a man before walking down the street challenging others to a brawl.
“The defendant pushes the victim backwards against a wall and is clenching a fist above him,” she said.
“The victim is cowering and the defendant then grabs him by the coat and punches him in the head before pummelling him for 15 seconds to the upper body and head. The punching stops and then he spits in his face.”
The victim ran off and was not found, so the extent of his injuries is unknown.
When police finally found Leech and arrested him on suspicion of affray, he said: “When I get out of these cuffs, I will take your head off.”
At the station, he kicked special constable Harry Cowup in the right thigh and continued to be abusive.
Robert Quinn, defending, said: “The offence is a very unpleasant one but Mr Leech has no recollection of it. He woke up in a police cell not knowing what had happened and why he was there.
“While he doesn’t remember, he believes there would have been something which had provoked him as he is not a violent person and does not go out looking for trouble.
“He wants the bench to be aware of his alcohol problems. From a young age he has had a problem with it and ended up on the streets.”
Mr Leech was sentenced to a 12-month community order and ordered to pay £85 costs.
He must also take part in an alcohol rehabilitation programme.