A drunken electrician crashed his car after a Christmas bash before trying to gouge out a police officer's eyes. And now he's in prison.
James Wilson lost control of his car in Downend on December 22 last year, Bristol Crown Court heard. But when police arrived at the scene all hell broke loose, with Wilson attempted to gouge out one officer's eyes and spitting at another.
Wilson, 33, of Albert Road in Hanham, was found guilty of attempted grievous bodily harm after a trial. He pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker, driving while unfit through drink, driving without insurance and failing to provide a specimen of breath.
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Judge Mark Horton jailed him for seven year and four months. He banned him from driving for three years and eight months.
The judge told him: "You were intending to gouge out the eyes of the officer in the case. You were applying as much pressure as you could to the victim's eyes and he believed he may be about to lose his eyes."
The court heard Wilson crashed his BMW car after pre-Christmas drinks in a pub. When police arrived at the scene trouble flared, with Wilson gouging at the eyes of PC Luke Watson and spitting in the face of PC Craig Walters.
Nicholas Lee, prosecuting, read an impact statement from PC Watson in which the officer said Wilson pushed his thumbs into his eyes and the pain was immense. He feared he would lose his sight before other officers arrived and pulled Wilson away.
The assault left the officer considering his future career, the court heard. He said what happened impacted not just on him but on his partner and family too.
Tony Bignall, defending, said: "He had just crashed his car. He had been drinking, he had a crash and he was probably in shock."
Mr Bignall said remorseful Wilson had completed courses while on remand and was doing well. Mr Bignall added: "He is on his way to becoming a much changed man."
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