A DRUNK punched a policeman in the face on Christmas Day in an “outrageous” attack as he tried to help him.

Kane Bradbury, 21, was “rambling incoherently” when he stuck the officer and broke his glasses in Newport, prosecutor Jenny Yeo said.

The defendant, who was homeless at the time, was condemned by Judge Jeremy Jenkins at Cardiff Crown Court.

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He told Bradbury: “This was an outrageous attack. You punched a police officer in the face.

“At around midnight on Christmas Day you were clearly under the influence of drink and, or, drugs and you were a danger to yourself.

“You ran away from officers into traffic. They caught up with you and, as they detained you, you hit one of them.

“Any attack on a member of the emergency services is a serious offence.”

The officer was not badly injured but his glasses were damaged in the attack.

Bradbury, of no fixed abode, Newport, pleaded guilty to assault of an emergency worker and possession of cannabis.

These offences put him in breach of a conditional discharge imposed for battery at St Cadoc’s Hospital in Caerleon last April.

The court heard that Bradbury was on the streets at Christmas time after he had been “ejected by a family member”.

Ieuan Bennett, representing the defendant, told Judge Jenkins that his client had already served nearly the equivalent of a six-month jail sentence.

Bradbury had been held in custody since December 30 and appeared in court via video link from Cardiff Prison.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, both barristers made representations to the court by telephone.

Judge Jenkins told Bradbury he hoped his time spent in custody had acted as a “deterrent” to him.

The defendant was deemed as presenting a “low risk of reoffending” by the Probation Service in their report.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order and must carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and complete a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Bradbury must pay £175 in compensation to the police officer and a victim surcharge.