A drunken clubber being given a lift home by police repaid the favour by lashing out and leaving one officer needing a tetanus jab and Hepatitis C check-up.
Bartek Targowski was picked up outside the Prohibition nightclub in Aberdeen but rather than take him into custody police officers decided to deliver him home instead.
But after the 21-year-old restaurant worker was placed within the marked police van on December 18 2021 he lashed out at the officers.
Fiscal depute Carol Gammie told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that Targowski began kicking off at 4.05am as the van made its way along Midstocket Road.
“En route to the accused’s home address, he began to act in a very aggressive manner,” she said.
“He shouted and swore at the two police officers and began to strike his head on the internal cell door of the van.”
After he gestured to the policemen that he had something in his hand they stopped the van and went to check on him, but he refused to open his palms.
Called them ‘Scottish idiots’
Ms Gammie said: “As the officers tried to reason with the accused, he bit one police constable’s left thumb and spat on the other police constable’s right cheek.”
At this point, the officers changed direction, arrested him and took him straight to Kittybrewster Police Station.
On that journey, Targowski hurled numerous homophobic and xenophobic slurs towards the officers.
The officer he bit suffered bite marks, broken skin and bleeding and had to receive a Hepatitis C booster vaccine before providing blood samples on four further occasions to confirm that no infectious diseases were caught as a result of the assault.
Targowski admitted two charges of police assault and a further charge of threatening of abusive behaviour.
His defence agent Mike Monro said the first offender had “exploded” in the back of the van after being lifted from the nightclub on Langstane Place.
“Police attended and they were doing Mr Bartowski a favour and taking him back home. Having said that he was in cuffs when he was put in the van and spoken to by police,” he said.
Had taken drink and drugs
He said there was no reasonable explanation for his client kicking off in the manner he did, other than “he was drunk and also been taking drugs”.
“That’s the only reason I can find for him, what I can only describe as him exploding, in the back of the van. He was banging his head against the cell wall in the van causing himself distress and pain,” Mr Monro added.
“I have told him that any assault on a police officer is serious, when there’s more than one of similar behaviour it’s all the worse, especially when Covid made the matter of spitting much worse.”
Sheriff Ian Wallace handed Targowski, of Persley Crescent, Aberdeen, a 12-month supervision order and 210 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.
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