A man who attempted to hijack a woman’s car and violently resisted police trying to arrest him, was yesterday jailed for thirty months.
Donald McPhee, 30, said to have been “under the influence of a cocktail of drugs” at the time.
McPhee accosted Sonya Paul, 36, as she was about to leave her car at the Riverside car park near the town centre, last October, Wick Sheriff Court was told.
He ordered her to get out, but she remained in the driving seat and became involved in a struggle with the accused who eventually managed to wrench the ignition key from her before running off.
Police located the accused in Bridge Street, Wick.
McPhee adopted a fighting stance with clenched fists and struggled violently with two police officers who described his demeanour as “wild and deranged”.
McPhee, said to have displayed exceptional strength, twice received bursts of pepper spray but it had no effect on him.
He punched the police officers and attempted to bite one of them before he was finally overcome with the aid of police reinforcements and taken to Wick police station.
McPhee had pleaded not guilty but the jury took almost two hours to reach their verdicts, unanimously finding McPhee guilty on all counts – attempted robbery, two assaults and one charge of threatening or abusive behaviour.
The sheriff expressed concern about McPhee’s record and described what happened to Miss Paul as “an horrific event” and “a dreadful experience” for her.
He added that a custodial sentence had to reflect the gravity of the offences and deter others who might think of indulging in such unwelcome behaviour.
McPhee’s jail term was backdated to October 4 when he was arrested.
He will be under supervision on his release from prison.