Man jailed after stamping on female police officer's head

A man who threatened to stab and kill a female police officer, before stamping on her head, has been jailed for five years.

Jamie Docherty admitted attacking PC Rebecca Martin-Palmer outside Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) after she told him he was going to be arrested.

Docherty, 34, had been taken to the hospital on 13 August last year after being found unconscious in the street after an alleged assault.

The High Court in Glasgow heard that he had a string of previous convictions for violence, disorder and other offences.

Docherty had initially snatched his arm away from the officer outside the QEUH minor injuries unit, and ordered her not to touch him.

The court was told that he was "in the officer's face", clenching his fists and was adopting a fighting stance.

He then hit her in the face with a plastic container before threatening to stab her and do her in.

Prosecutor Alasdair Shaw said Martin-Palmer pressed her emergency button for back-up.

He said she continued her efforts to restrain Docherty, who shouted that she was going to die.

He stamped on her head after she fell to the ground.

Docherty fled inside the building, but Martin-Palmer managed to get to her feet and again tried to catch Docherty.

He brought out a mobile phone claiming it was instead a high-powered taser before pressing it in the officer's neck.

Other police officers then arrived and Docherty was eventually handcuffed.

The court was told Martin-Palmer's injuries included a wound to her nose and bruising.

Alasdair Shaw said the incident had affected her mental health and she was yet to return to police work.

Bob Mitchell, defending, said Docherty was "ashamed" by what he done and said he had been in a "poor state of mind" after the alleged assault that led to him being at hospital.

Lord Arthurson cut his jail-term from seven years due to the guilty plea.

"Your assault was sustained, exceptionally violent and was to the danger of the officer's life," he said.

"The courts will continue to regard such deplorable attacks on police officers as offending of the utmost gravity and deal with the perpetrators with considerable severity."