A callous thug who kicked a police officer in the face, causing him permanent eye damage and resulting in him having to retire from frontline policing has been jailed.
Dylon Guyan appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted assaulting the police officer following a violent altercation when police found him breaching bail.
As a result of the 19-year-old’s actions, the police officer had to go to hospital.
He suffered severe concussion, hearing damage and permanent eye damage – meaning he will never return to frontline duty.
Guyan was also sentenced for headbutting a court security guard at a previous court appearance.
Sheriff Ian Wallace told Guyan – who was already in prison due to other offences – that “only a period of imprisonment” was appropriate.
Accused said he would put cop ‘in a box’
Fiscal depute Andrew McMann told the court that, on April 9 last year, Guyan was given bail and told not to approach a former partner.
But on June 29, Guyan had been drinking with that woman and an acquaintance of hers – and reacted angrily to them asking to leave.
The acquaintance contacted a friend who immediately called the police.
Officers visited Guyan’s property just after midnight and arrested him for breaching bail.
As two police officers were placing Guyan within a cell in the marked police van, he attempted to headbutt one of them.
But he moved his face, causing him to strike him on the shoulder.
Guyan then told the second officer that if he didn’t remove the handcuffs he had placed on his wrists he would “put him in a box”.
The thug then lunged at the officer and attempted to headbutt him.
As he was restrained on the ground, Guyan then began to kick out, kicking the officer on the shins causing bruising.
Guyan also forcefully kicked the officer to the head three times, making contact with his temple area on the left side.
Officer left with hearing and eye damage
The officer immediately felt faint and disorientated.
Upon arrival at Kittybrewster Police Station. he was complaining of feeling dizzy and said his sight had deteriorated.
The police officer was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he was found to have severe concussion.
He spent a number of days in the hospital – often having to be readmitted due to dizziness and vomiting.
Following the assault, the officer sustained bruising and swelling to his left temple and left eye and suffered from severe concussion for several months.
Mr McMann told the court that the officer now suffers from partial hearing loss.
He must wear a hearing aid for life.
The fiscal depute also narrated the details of a number of other offences, including Guyan headbutting a court security guard at a previous court hearing.
Guyan also climbed on top of a young woman he was dating and placed his hands around her throat.
He later spat in the face of a healthcare worker.
In the dock, Guyan admitted seven charges of assault and one charge of breaching his bail condition not to approach his former partner.
‘Particularly terrifying offence’
Defence solicitor Neil McRobert told the court his client was 18 at the time of these offences and “acknowledges they are serious charges”.
The solicitor added that Guyan has struggled with his mental health and has “used substances from a worryingly young age to mitigate these”.
Mr McRobert said Guyan was currently serving a period of detention in relation to another matter, which still had 13 months to run.
Describing Guyan’s assault on the police officer as a “particularly terrifying offence”, Sheriff Wallace told him he had a number of offences for violence against him.
He added that due to Guyan targeting “court staff, police officers and young women” he was satisfied that “only a custodial sentence was appropriate” in his case.
Sheriff Wallace sentenced Guyan, of Auchinyell Road, Aberdeen, to 19 months in prison, consecutive to his current sentence.
After the hearing, Inspector Paul Hammond said: “Such attacks on police officers who are carrying out their duties are completely unacceptable.
“Police officers put themselves in harm’s way to keep the public safe, and any violence toward them will not be tolerated.
“We will continue to take robust action against anyone who assaults our officers.”
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