Drink and drugs binge man with cleaver used CS spray on officer

Sheriff praises bravery of police who dealt with dangerous situation on Dundee street

A sleep-deprived man who sprayed a police constable in the face with CS gas before trying to grab for a meat cleaver as the half-blinded officer tried to arrest him was jailed for more than three years yesterday.

Police rushed to the Hilltown in Dundee after a taxi driver spotted Josh Bray carrying the cleaver and a metal pole as he got out of the cab.

When PCs Lee Ford-Logie and Shaunni Morris arrived they found Bray standing in the street.

He reached for the waistband of his shorts where the weapons were stashed when police approached.

The officers urged him to show his hands before PC Ford-Logie drew his incapacitant spray and fired it at Bray as he refused to comply.

Depute fiscal Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court that instead of dropping his weapons Bray reached into his pocket and pulled out his own canister of CS gas.

She said: “He thereafter sprayed Constable Ford-Logie to the face and eyes with CS spray.

“The constable couldn’t see from his right eye at that time and the accused refused to desist.

“Constables Morris and Ford-Logie struck the accused a number of times with her baton.

“The accused continued to resist and was shouting and swearing and trying to reach for the meat cleaver in his shorts.

“Constable Ford-Logie managed to get one of his hands in to a rigid handcuff.

“He repeatedly refused to release the CS canister from his other hand and continued to make repeated efforts to reach for the meat cleaver in his waistband and refused to desist.

“Several officers then arrived and the accused was secured on the ground.

“The meat cleaver was then recovered from the waistband area of his shorts.”

A sheriff told him the police had “behaved with commendable discipline” in the face of his “unpredictable and aggressive” attack.

Bray, 23, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pled guilty.

Defence solicitor Stuart Hamilton told the court that Bray “wished to express his remorse towards the two officers”.

He added: “He had been given warnings by police of threats against him. On the day he had been awake for five straight days drinking alcohol and taking drugs because he was afraid to sleep.

“He has no excuse for the behaviour towards the officers.”

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed Bray for three years and four months and said it would have been five years but for his early plea.

He said: “These are extremely serious charges.

“I’m told these were committed while you were sleep deprived and had taken alcohol and cocaine.

“The officers had to physically disarm you while you tried to arm yourself further with a meat cleaver.

“These officers displayed commendable discipline in a situation of unpredictability and aggression on your part.

“This behaviour is unacceptable towards anyone and in particular towards officers doing their duty.”

The constable couldn’t see from his right eye at that time and the accused refused to desist. DEPUTE FISCAL SAIMA RASHEED

Josh Bray attacked police with CS spray and reached for a meat cleaver in the waistband of his shorts.