Man who punched police officer told to pay £250 compensation

A Mearns man has been ordered to pay a female police officer £250 compensation after punching her in the face as she tried to break up a Montrose melee.

Jordan Bruce of Laurencekirk was slammed by a sheriff for being “completely and utterly out of order” in the March 2019 incident after trouble broke out near a nightclub in the Angus town.

The 26-year-old, of Ruddiman Drive, appeared for sentence before Sheriff Derek Reekie having previously admitted assaulting the officer in execution of her duty in George Street, Montrose, on March 2 last year by punching her on the head, resisting arrest, struggling with her and running away.

Defence solicitor Theo Findlay said a social work report recommending a community order with elements of supervision would help address issues arising for Bruce.

The sheriff said: “This was around 2am outside a nightclub, there were some barneys going on and your client gets involved when the police are trying to break everything up.

“He then turned and punched a female officer in the face. There was a previous conviction about intervening in another altercation, which seems to be a bit of a habit.”

The sheriff told the accused: “To punch a female officer involved in trying to break up a number of other fracas is completely and utterly out of order.”

He also placed Bruce on a year-long community payback order with supervision and ordered him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work within nine months.