A man who kicked a Metropolitan Police officer during large-scale disorder in Whitehall has been jailed for 10 months.
Ozzie Cush, 20, of Reading, confronted a group of Metropolitan Police officers before hitting one individual with his foot at a demonstration near Trafalgar Square on July 31.
Appearing in custody at Inner London Crown Court on Friday, the defendant wore a grey t-shirt and spoke only to confirm his name.
Prosecutor Alex Agbamu told the court a group of officers were called to deal with a demonstration in Whitehall that had been organised by so-called “cultural nationalists”.
Mr Agbamu said Cush walked “deliberately” into the path of one officer, Pc Philip Munt, before he “kicked out” at him.
A video played in court showed the defendant approaching a group of police officers just outside Trafalgar Square before raising his leg at one of the officers and subsequently being detained.
Around 9.15pm the officers followed demonstrators in the direction of Trafalgar Square, having enforced a Section 35 dispersal order and previously monitored those who had gathered outside Downing Street.
Mr Agbamu said Cush then walked into the path of one officer, Pc Philip Munt, before he “kicked out” at him.
“There was no provocation and there was simply no need for the defendant to have acted how he did,” the prosecutor said.
“The defendant’s shod foot made contact with his officer’s right hand.”
The officer suffered some immediate pain but had no lasting injuries from the incident.
Cush, of Reading, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
He was sentenced to 46 weeks’ detention in a young offenders’ institution at Inner London Crown Court on Friday, of which he must serve up to half of the sentence.
The defendant had two previous convictions relating to criminal damage, and had been on bail awaiting sentence for one of the convictions at the time of the assault.
Sentencing, Judge Benedict Kelleher said the offence displayed “a complete contempt” for the force and was “clearly deliberate”.
He added: “Your actions also ran the risk of inflaming the wider situation and encouraging others to attack the police.”
The judge said a custodial sentence was appropriate in order to “deter other from engaging in similar behaviour”.
When questioned by police on Wednesday, Cush said he was not part of the protest and had been “run at” by the officers.
Alex Granville, defending, said Cush was “a troubled young man” who had been on a day trip to London visiting filming locations used in the Harry Potter film franchise.
Mr Granville acknowledged the “the wider picture” of national disorder had to be considered but said the defendant had learnt “a valuable lesson” from the incident.
He said: “This is not a malicious moment, it is immaturity and poor decision-making, and a total lapse in his thinking skills.”
Around 30 people arrested
Met Police investigators have charged more than 30 people following disorder and antisocial behaviour.
Following events in Walthamstow and Hounslow on Wednesday night, four people have been charged with offences including possessing offensive weapons, going equipped to cause criminal damage and assaulting emergency workers.
Eight others have been charged with offences including failing to comply with a dispersal order, violent disorder and assaulting emergency workers following antisocial behaviour in Croydon on Wednesday evening.
As of Friday, 21 people have now been charged as a result of disorder in Whitehall on the evening of July 31.
They are accused of crimes including violent disorder, possessing offensive weapons, possessing Class A drugs and public order offences.
Several suspects have already appeared before magistrates and many more are due to appear in the coming days.
