A naked defendant who refused to get dressed for his court hearing has been jailed for six months after being caught with a knife for the second time.
Former soldier James Bridgewood was due before Kirklees magistrates last week to answer charges of assaulting a police constable and possessing a bladed article in public.
But he could not be transported from Dewsbury Police Station to the Huddersfield court as he was naked and would not get dressed.
Today the 35-year-old appeared at the court via a prison video link - fully clothed- and pleaded guilty to the offences.
Prosecutor Alex Bozman said that at 11.25pm on July 3 police were called to Swan Lane in Lockwood.
They were contacted by staff at the Swan Inn who said that there was a man there taking down some flags and causing damage.
When they arrived Bridgewood wasn’t there but when he returned a member of the public said they believed he had a knife in his possession.
Mr Bozman said: “He left the pub and started walking away. The officer followed and took hold of him by the arm.
“Attempts were then made by Bridgewood to punch the officer, but not successfully and he was shouting: ‘f*****g touch me’.
“The officer decided to take him to the ground and there was a struggle. Members of the public came to the officer’s assistance because he was still having his hair pulled.”
Magistrates were told that the Pc had tried to grab hold of Bridgewood because he saw him reach into his back pocket.
Upon his arrest a fully functioning lock knife with an 8cms blade was recovered from his clothing but it was not produced during the row.
Magistrates heard that Bridgewood, of Yews Hill Road in Lockwood, would have to be jailed for a minimum of six months.
This was because in December 2014 he was convicted of possessing a knife in public.
Catherine McCullough, mitigating, explained that her client initially had a legitimate reason having it on him for his job as a packer in a warehouse.
But as the knife remained on his person he committed an offence, she explained.
Magistrates were told that Bridgewood suffered from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and was heavily intoxicated the night he was arrested.
Mrs McCullough explained: “The reason he was drinking so heavily was due to his increased alcohol intake because of his PTSD.
“He served in the armed forces from 2002 and 2010 in active service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“During that time he saw some harrowing things that have stayed with him and he uses alcohol as a way of self-medicating and coping with the symptoms.”
She added that her client accepted he shouldn’t have been mixing his alcohol with medication and that probably had an effect on him.
Magistrates jailed Bridgewood for six months and ordered him to pay the officer he assaulted £115 compensation upon his release.
The seized knife will be forfeited and destroyed.
