A Maesteg man bit a police officer after a drunken night at a pub.
Joshua Parry, 30, assaulted PC Lewis Fencott in Commercial Street on June 6, following a booze-up at The Bird. He appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Monday (November 8) and admitted the assault.
There had been reports of a fight at the pub and one person being headbutted, which led to police being called. Finding Parry at the scene with blood on his face, the officers arrested him.
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Although the ground worker was never charged in connection with the disturbance at The Bird, he committed an assault while being arrested, biting PC Fencott's arm.
Parry's lawyer Rhodri Chudleigh told the court: "He knows he's only got himself to blame, bearing in mind the condition he was in when he came out of the public house that night."
District Judge Stephen Harmes told Parry: "There's evidence you've bitten an officer on the arm, but not a very severe bite. It's a relatively minor injury and that's what we're treating it as."
Parry, of Grove Street, has a nine-year-old daughter and five-year-old son. His attack came three months after he had completed a suspended prison sentence for another offence.
Judge Harmes warned Parry: "If you don't address your drinking, it's only a matter of time before you get done for drink-driving. Even if you drive the next day, it can stay in your system. You'll lose your job and that's not something you can afford to do."
The district judge described Parry as earning a "very healthy" wage of £750 to £1,000 a week. Instead of an unpaid work order which could disrupt the defendant's job, he imposed a £1,000 fine, to which Parry said: "That's a bit fairer sir, yeah."
Parry must also pay £250 in compensation to the victim, a £90 victim services surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs. He must wear an alcohol abstinence monitor for four months and complete 25 rehab days.
Mr Chudleigh said his client pays maintenance to two ex-partners and will not be resuming work until December. The district judge agreed Parry would not have to start paying costs from his penalties until next month.
When Judge Harmes told Parry he would be brought back to court if he failed to comply with the sentence, he replied: "Yes sir, you're a fair man sir. It's been a long time and I've turned my life around."
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