Former policeman spared jail after attack on car thief

An award-winning policeman was yesterday spared jail after attacking a serial car thief who tried to run away from officers.

Andrew Martin repeatedly punched Liam Smith while he was carrying out an arrest warrant for another wanted suspect.

When Martin, 31, and two fellow officers pulled up at an address in Aberdeen they noticed Smith scrambling from a window.

Although he was not the target of the arrest warrant, Martin knew Smith was wanted by police, chased the then 17-year-old and caught him.

Smith struggled with the officer on the ground to avoid being handcuffed. In an attempt to ‘subdue’ the prolific car thief, Martin hit Smith between ‘four to seven times’ in the face, leaving him bleeding heavily from the nose and with a swollen eye.

At Aberdeen Sheriff court, Sheriff Graeme napier ordered the officer, who previously admitted the assault, in December 2013, to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community. Sheriff napier said the offence warranted a custodial sentence but he noted the former officer’s good record and the ‘devastating’ impact the incident had on his family life.

The sheriff added that he had to take into account the ‘extraordinary’ time it had taken the crown to get the case to court. The case had been hanging over Martin for nearly three years due to ‘ongoing’ investigations.

The father of three, who had received a humanitarian award, quit the force after being placed on office duties.

The court heard that the violent outburst had wrecked his ten-year police career and crushed his dreams of landing a job with CID.

Martin refused to comment when leaving court yesterday.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘It is extremely disappointing that the officer fell well below the expected standards on the day in question.’