A DRIVER who crashed his car into a wall in Bromsgrove has been jailed for punching a police officer in the face as he tried to flee the scene.

Junior White was found in an agitated state with dilated pupils when two female police officers attended the scene of the crash on June 13, 2016.

Lal Amarasinghe, prosecuting, said: "Officers formed the opinion he was under the influence of drink or drugs and he was detained on suspicion of drink driving or being under the influence of drugs."

White struck one of the officers to the face, causing soreness and reddening to her jaw, and pushed the other.

The 34-year-old, of Culmington Road in Birmingham, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer in the execution of duty when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Monday (January 22).

He was not charged for drink of drug-driving, but was found guilty of the assault, placing him in breach of two suspended sentences - one for leaving the scene of an accident and drink-driving, and the other for breach of an harassment order in relation to his ex-partner.

White has 22 convictions for 42 offences, including assault occasioning actually bodily harm, affray and assaulting another police officer in 2009.

William Douglas-Jones, defending, described White as a labourer who had been laid off, but was actively seeking work to support his family

"He wishes he could turn back time," said Mr Douglas-Jones. "It was stupidity. He's sorry."

Judge Nicholas Cole said said he accepted the assault was 'reckless' in an attempt to get away.

He added: "I'm of the view that does not really reduce the seriousness of the matter. To escape the officers who were trying to speak to you, you were prepared to use force.

"This was a nasty, reckless assault in an attempt to get away from a female officer."

White was jailed for 16 weeks.