A WOODBRIDGE man who broke a policeman’s thumb during a struggle after he intervened when another officer tried to arrest his friend has been jailed for eight months.

Unemployed Billy Orchard was a passenger in a friend’s car when the vehicle was stopped in Warwick Avenue, Woodbridge, at around 11pm on July 6, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Pc Kate Clabburn arrested Orchard’s friend for a road traffic offence and Orchard, who had been in the passenger seat, got out of the car and started to wrestle the officer away from his friend, Michael Crimp, prosecuting, said.

Because of Orchard’s intervention his friend broke free from Pc Clabburn.

Her colleague, Pc David Dyble intervened and took hold of Orchard who twisted away causing pain to the officer’s thumb.

Pc Dyble let go of Orchard and he and his friend ran off. The officer went to Ipswich hospital where he was found to have a fractured thumb.

Orchard, 21, of Kings Close, Woodbridge, admitted inflicting grevious bodily harm and assaulting a police officer in the execution of her duty and was jailed for eight months.

Joanne Eley for Orchard said he had not deliberately injured Pc Dyble but accepted that by struggling in the way he did he had caused the fracture to his thumb.

“He is very sorry. He didn’t give proper thought to what he was doing,” Miss Eley said.

She said Orchard had seen his friend being arrested and had intervened. “He shouldn’t have done so. The police officer was doing her job,” Miss Eley said.