A 24-year-old scaffolder has been jailed after assaulting a woman who tried to break up a fight.

Owen Edwin Plaskett punched the woman and pulled out her hair after pushing her to the ground.

He then struggled with police who had to use Pava spray to restrain him.

After pleading guilty to common assault on a female and resisting arrest, High Bailiff Jayne Hughes jailed Plaskett for 16 weeks.

He was also banned from entering licensed premises, and purchasing or being sold alcohol, for two years.

Plaskett was also ordered to pay the woman £500 compensation.

High Bailiff Mrs Hughes told Plaskett: ’This was an appalling incidence of violence against a young woman who tried to break up a fight.

’It was an unprovoked drunken assault on a female who was acting as a good Samaritan.’

We previously reported that police were called to Victoria Street in Douglas on July 10 at 3.15am after a report of a fight in progress.

When they arrived they were flagged down by a woman who said that she had been hit in the face by Plaskett and he had ripped out a huge clump of her hair.

She said that she had seen two men arguing at the taxi rank and she had gone up to them and asked them to stop arguing.

She said that Plaskett, who lives at Hilltop Rise, then pushed her to the ground, held her down and pulled her hair.

Police approached Plaskett, who was still at the scene, and he was said to be smelling of alcohol, slurring his words, and had glazed eyes.

He was arrested but as police put handcuffs on him he tensed up and pulled away.

He continued to struggle and was warned that Pava spray would be used.

However, he was still belligerent and non-compliant and was subsequently put on the ground.

Plaskett then tucked his hands under his body and thrashed around as police tried to handcuff him.

He was eventually restrained using the Pava spray.

Plaskett then started banging his head repeatedly on the cage door in the police van as he was taken to police headquarters and said: ’It was self-defence.’

When interviewed later he claimed he could remember nothing of the night after leaving the Outback. He said he was ’genuinely shocked’ at the accusation he had assaulted a girl and that something must have been going on that she got involved in.

He apologised to police for his behaviour.

Defence advocate David Reynolds said: ’On the date of the offence Mr Plaskett went out at around 10pm with friends.

’He accepts he had lots to drink. He went to Quids Inn then the Outback. At the end of the evening one of his friends went to get food and he went to the taxi rank.

fight

’He has no recollection of how he got into a fight with another male. He doesn’t know the complainant who clearly had gone out of her way to assist. Having viewed CCTV footage he was shocked and ashamed.

’He is not somebody who is heavily convicted. It has been a number of years since his last conviction but clearly alcohol doesn’t agree with him as he ends up before the court when intoxicated.’

Mr Reynolds went on to say that this client had self-referred to Motiv8 and had suffered from PTSD himself in the past after being stabbed in 2014.

’He accepts he does rely on alcohol on occasions, when going through difficult times,’ said the advocate.

The court heard that Plaskett had been subject to alcohol bans in 2016 for being drunk and disorderly and resisting arrest, and 2017 after a criminal damage incident.

High Bailiff Mrs Hughes said: ’Despite two bans you did not learn from your earlier offending.

’A very clear and unequivocal message needs to go out to those who go out and inflict violence while intoxicated. This was unprovoked violence on a good Samaritan whilst intoxicated.’

Plaskett was sentenced to 16 weeks in custody for the assault and eight for resisting arrest, to run concurrently.