AN Essex police officer has hit out at the leniency the courts showed his attacker after he fractured his wrist making an arrest - saying he feels “incredibly let down and unsupported”.

PC Chris Daves suffered the injury - which left him unable to drive, on desk duties at work, and had a large affect on his family life - while attending a suspected domestic abuse case.

The suspect admitted to being on cocaine at the time and was fined £20, ordered to pay a £30 victim surcharge and was told to pay PC Daves £200.

He admitted the charge of resisting arrest.

PC Daves told the Essex Police Federation: “He had probably spent more on cocaine that night than he had to pay in fines. I had attended the incident and had to deal with his girlfriend, who was very emotional and intoxicated and managed to track him down to a flat.

“That was when he got repeatedly violent and I had to grapple with him to get him under arrest. I got him into cuffs, but he pushed against me and it was during the melee that I hurt my hand which was later diagnosed as a wrist fracture.

“It’s had a massive impact on me personally. I’ve been left unable to drive as I’ve been in a cast and it’s stopped me from doing things with my kids, not to mention the impact it’s had on my work life.”

PC Daves also stated his assailant used his time in court to complain that the arrest made his expensive jacket muddy.

“It was just unbelievable,” he said.

“As police officers we go out and put ourselves in danger and peril to protect the public and the courts aren’t even backing us up.”

Essex Police Federation chairman Steve Taylor spoke out in support of the officer.

He added: “This offender was given a fine which probably totalled less than he spent getting intoxicated.

“What kind of a deterrent did the bench think this sentence would send?

“An assault on a police officer is an assault on our society itself, and this sanction evidences why we need to better protect the protectors – with legislative change.”