A DRUNKEN man who was attacking his teenage girlfriend then fought with two police officers who broke into his flat trying to arrest him, a court was told.

Robert Taverner had the 17-year-old on the floor of his kitchen in Lansdowne Road, Worcester, with his hands round her throat. She was short of breath and thought she was being throttled, said Charles Hardy, prosecuting at Worcester Crown Court. Police had been alerted by a neighbour, who had heard screams, and when they kicked a door panel to get in, Taverner was straddling the girl, banging her head on the floor and spitting in her face.

He charged at the police in a frenzy and was only subdued after they drew batons and struck him. In the course of the fight, one officer accidentally struck his colleague.

Taverner, aged 32, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and assault with intent to resist arrest. He was given an eight-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to attend programmes dealing with domestic abuse and alcohol problems.

Mr Hardy said the teenager had been at the Marrs Bar in Pierpoint Street, Worcester, on Sunday, March 21, when she had a call that Taverner was behaving aggressively at a local pub.

When she returned to the flat at 3am he was drunk and aggressive and accused her of infidelity.

He dragged her down a flight of stairs and dragged her back inside the flat when she tried to walk off. She had red marks on her throat but declined hospital treatment.

Michael Aspinall, defending, said Taverner suffered from disturbed thinking due to his intake of alcohol. “He recognises he has demons caused by alcohol and realises he has to deal with them,” said Mr Aspinall.

Judge Michael Cullum described Taverner as “a drunken bully” and said that his attack on his girlfriend was “vile and serious”. He hoped the teenager would have the good sense not to continue the relationship.