Worksop man pepper-sprayed after assaulting cop who told him to wear his seat belt

Dwaine Clegg was stopped when he was seen talking on his mobile phone while driving on June 15, last year, said prosecutor Freddie Sail.

He drove away from them and they followed him home, where he became aggressive by puffing up his chest and ordering them off his drive.

He was warned about swearing but continued and the officers tried to arrest him for a public order offence.

He shoved one officer several times before pushing him from one end of the drive to the other which caused “substantial bruising” and required hospital treatment.

Clegg ran off and was caught when he fell off a fence he was trying to climb over. He had to be PAVA-sprayed before he was arrested but this had "minimal effect".

The court heard he “blamed the officer for provoking him which caused him to behave in the way he did.”

He has 16 previous convictions for 24 offences, six of which are for violence, but has kept out of trouble since 2019, when he received a community order.

His defence solicitor said: “It beggars belief that a request to put his seat belt on led to this. It was a non-endorsable offence. It could have been dealt with another way.”

Clegg’s home CCTV showed the officer had kicked him during the scuffle, his solicitor said, adding the incident became a public order offence when he began swearing.

Earlier that day Clegg was preoccupied about his brother and “wearing his seat belt was less of a priority.”

“He deeply regrets this incident,” his solicitor added.

Clegg, aged 42, of Carlton Road, Worksop, admitted making threats and assault causing actual bodily harm, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on January 16.

The case was adjourned for probation reports until Tuesday when the presiding magistrate told him: "This was an incident that shouldn't have happened."

Clegg received a 12-month community order with a 31-day programme and 100 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £400 compensation, a £114 surcharge and £85 costs.