An arrested man who kicked and spat at a police officer has been jailed for more than six months.

Jason Berry lost his temper when the PC tried to handcuff him after pulling over a car he was travelling in, Kirklees magistrates were told.

But chairman of the bench Richard Fearnley told him: “We will certainly not tolerate kicking and spitting at police officers while they are performing their duties.”

Their sentence was passed just days after Chief Constable Dee Collins told the Huddersfield court that 12 West Yorkshire Police officers a week are attacked by criminals.

Berry, of Beech Street in Paddock , was found guilty of assault following a trial heard in his absence.

Prosecutor Alex Bozman told magistrates that the 24-year-old was a passenger in a car stopped by police on Huddersfield Road, Mirfield, on November 12 last year.

He said: “It was suspected that the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs but Berry started being uncooperative and aggressive towards the officer.

“The officer took the view that he was acting unpredictably and may progress to assaulting him so decided to handcuff him as he was gathering information.

“Berry kicked the officer in the calf and then spat at him in the face, hitting him on the chin.”

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He had denied assault but was found guilty following a trial conducted by magistrates last month.

Berry appeared in court via a prison video link as a warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to show for the hearing.

He also pleaded guilty to a matter of criminal damage dating back to April 4.

Then he threw a brick at his cousin’s window in Milnsbridge following a row over who should fetch more beer.

In February 2016 he was jailed for 27 months for burglary.

Then he was handed a day’s detention last September for assaulting a prison guard, magistrates were told.

Jonathan Slawinski, mitigating, described Berry as vulnerable as he suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, autism and ADHD.

He explained: “That’s reflective of how he’s behaved himself throughout the criminal record and he’s made various appearances at youth court for anti-social behaviour.”

Berry was recently prescribed stronger medication which helped calm his behaviour but then he missed a medical appointment and found himself drinking and offending again.

Mr Slawinski added: “He has little recollection of the incident but was under the influence of alcohol and it angered him that he had been cuffed.”

But magistrates described the attack on the police officer as repeated and said that the use of his foot was classed as a weapon.

They jailed him for 26 weeks and ordered him to pay £115 victim surcharge upon his release from custody.

Last week magistrates were asked to take into account the impact of assaults upon police officers and staff when they sentenced Lockwood woman Seana McLean for two counts of assaulting a PC.

In a statement read to the court Chief Constable Collins said: “Officers are regularly subjected to assaults and threats.

“It’s not acceptable to assume that assaults on police officers and staff should be tolerated and it’s not simply part of their job.”