A drunken murder squad detective convicted of terrorising a village pub nearly ended up behind bars when he tried to overturn the verdict “to save his skin”.

Det Sgt Paul Whiteley escaped with a fine equivalent to one and a half weeks' wages when he was first dealt with at the magistrates court.

But when he appealed against the conviction he was given a suspended jail sentence for what a crown court judge called the disgraced officer’s “aggressive and bullying behaviour”.

Whiteley - whose career with the West Yorkshire Police is now in ruins - jumped up from his seat and ran from the court room.

After a hearing at York Crown Court, sitting at York Magistrates Court, Recorder Andrew Kershaw and two magistrates took less than 10 minutes to reject Whiteley’s appeal against conviction by Scarborough Magistrates in July.

The court heard Whiteley, 51, of Grange Moor, had been on holiday with then partner Claire Hughes, 43, of York, at a campsite near Robin Hood’s Bay on the Yorkshire Coast. They decided to spend a rainy afternoon drinking in the Fylingdales Inn in nearby Fylingthorpe.

They stayed for seven hours and had downed the best part of three bottles of red Shiraz wine between them before they were spotted staggering towards Ms Hughes’ Vauxhall Corsa in the pub car park.

They then became involved in an altercation with holiday maker Carl Sarsfield, 41, an electrician from Oldham, was in the pub with girlfriend Paula Crossley, 41, and her 18-year-old autistic daughter Mia. On being told the police were on the way, Whiteley said: “I am the police. Do what you want. I’m not bothered.”

Whiteley had been fined £550 with a £55 surcharge at Scarborough with £850 court costs. Ms Hughes had been cleared of assaulting Ms Crossley.

Dismissing the appeal, the judge‎ remarked the fine was about “one and a half weeks’ wages” and although Mr Sarsfield had escaped injury, “the harm is the fear caused to the people in the pub.”

He added: “This was an assault by a police officer in a public place on an innocent member of the public in the presence of children and other people. There are so many aggravating features here.

“The offence was committed in the presence of an eight-year-old boy, an 18-year-old girl with learning difficulties and an autistic disorder; the daughter of one of the witnesses, and the companion of the complainant.

“There is evidence all of those people suffered terrible distress.

He sentenced Whiteley to 28 days custody and said he was only suspending it for 12 months because of his 23 years' service as an officer.

Whiteley was also ordered to pay a further £620 court costs for the appeal.

Det Chief Supt Clive Wain, of West Yorkshire Police Professional Standards Department, said: “We welcome the decision of the court and will now progress with disciplinary proceedings, which were put on hold while this case was resolved.

“West Yorkshire Police expects the highest standards of professionalism from all officers and staff and will take appropriate action against anyone who fails to meet those standards”.