A machete-carrying teenager who assaulted two police officers – leaving one with a fractured eye socket and a broken jaw – has been locked up for four years.

Sentencing 18-year-old Dylan Craig to 48 months detention in a young offenders’ institution, Judge Emma Peters described the assaults as “wicked” and said he was a “disgusting thug” .

She paid tribute to Pc Judith Hambling and her colleague Pc Timothy Barnes, who were punched in the face as they tried to arrest Craig, for their service to the people of Suffolk and commended them for “the good job” they did.

She said that on June 3, Craig had punched a 56-year-old man through his car window after throwing a bottle at his windscreen, causing it to crack.

He had then acted aggressively towards two 17-year-old girls at Stowmarket railway station before following them into Creeting Road West, where he brandished a machete before striking one of them on the leg – causing no injury – and punching her to the head.

Police found Craig and two of his friends near Newton Road and when he appeared to be co-operative they had put away their tasers.

However, Craig had suddenly jumped up and punched the two officers in the face leaving Pc Hambling with a fractured eye socket, a broken jaw and a broken tooth while her colleague suffered a cut to his lip which needed stitches.

“Over the course of that day you caused a great deal of harm, anguish, pain and fear to a number of people,” said the judge.

Craig, of Hill Rise, Stowmarket, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to wounding Pc Hambling with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm, causing Pc Barnes actual bodily harm, assaulting the teenage girl by beating, possession of a bladed article in a public place, assaulting the 56-year-old motorist and throwing a bottle at his car.

He also admitted damaging the windscreen of the same car and a van belonging to the same victim on May 22.

Bruce Clark, for Craig, who appeared at a Ipswich Crown Court via a prison video link, said his client has been drinking vodka and beer on June 3 and the attack on the police officers hadn’t been premeditated.

He said he had reacted in the way he did because he was fearful following events in America when a man had died after police allegedly knelt on his neck.

He said Craig had ADHD which resulted in a lack of impulse control.

Following the attack on the two police officers in June, Inspector Shawn Wakeling paid tribute to their bravery and called the attack “completely unacceptable”.