A crazed shoplifter high on street valium has been caged for subjecting an off-duty cop to the most violent attack of his 20-year police career.
Vicious thug Ross Potts punched and kicked PC Steven Notman and tried to gouge his eye out after the officer stopped him stealing alcohol from an off licence, a court heard.
Potts (28) screamed: “I’m going to f*****g blind you” as he pushed his thumb into the police officer’s eye socket, damaging the cornea.
He was jailed for two years on Thursday for what sentencing sheriff Jane Farquharson described as “a prolonged, unjustified and nasty assault”.
She told him that he would remain under supervision on licence for a further 12 months after his release to protect the public from serious harm.
Livingston Sheriff Court heard PC Notman grabbed Potts as he tried to escape from a Scotmid store clutching a case of beer and a bottle of wine.
As the shop’s staff seized the stolen alcohol back from the accused, PC Notman told Potts – who was heavily under the influence of street Valium and alcohol – that he should leave the scene or on-duty officers would be called.
Instead of going away, the 28-year-old thug charged at Mr Notman and punched him on the head and face, knocking him to the ground with the force of his attack.
Neil Martin, prosecuting, said Potts then climbed on top of the off-duty officer and continued to rain blows on his head and body
He said: “The accused placed his thumb in Mr Notman’s right eye, said: ‘I’m going to fucking blind you!’ and made efforts to gouge the eye from his socket.
“A member of the public grabbed the accused and was able to push him off but Potts was able to free himself and continued the attack.
“Another male who knows the accused was able to drag him away before bundling him into the rear of a vehicle and driving off.”
When on-duty officers arrived they found their colleague with blood on his cheek and angry red marks on his face and around his eyes.
He was taken to St John’s Hospital where medics found he had a dramatic corneal abrasion, bleeding around his eye and significant bruising around the entire right side of his head.
The shoplifting incident was captured on CCTV, he said.
The accused was driven home to Cardross Road, Broxburn, by his friends, but on arrival his behaviour towards them changed.
He pushed the wing mirror of their car back against its mechanism causing damage then picked up a brick and threw it at the vehicle.
Police who arrived shortly afterwards found Potts sitting on his doorstep still wearing the T-shirt which matched the images captured on the shop’s CCTV cameras.
He was put in the rear of an unmarked police van but behaved aggressively during the journey to St Leonard’s Police Station in Edinburgh.
Mr Martin said: “He began to shout at officers saying: ‘I’m going to hunt you down. I'm going to find you. When all this is over I’m coming for you!’
“At St Leonard’s he threatened: ‘When these cuffs come off I’ll rip your face off! I know where you live – I know where you work’.”
Station staff decided he was too unruly to caution and charge.
Mr Martin said that when PC Notman was spoken to by fellow officers later he told them that in his 20 years police service he’d never encountered anyone who was as intent on causing damage to another person.
Potts pleaded guilty to shoplifting, assault to injury, vandalism and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner during the incident on 2 June 2022, all aggravated by being on bail at the time.
Melissa Fortune, defending, said Potts had consumed a combination of alcohol and street Valium that day and had no recollection at all of what occurred.
She said Potts had been trying to address the issues he faced while in custody and added: “He says he’s made efforts to work through what’s a chronic problem for him.”
Passing sentence, Sheriff Farquharson told Potts: “I remain concerned that you still don't take responsibility for your actions.
“To suggest Mr Notman was ‘acting as a hero’ and had he not done so this would not have happened doesn’t reflect well on you and doesn't encourage me to think that you are taking this as seriously as you could.
“You have 47 criminal convictions over the last 12 years therefore there is no alternative to a sentence of imprisonment.”
She added: “You remain at high risk of reoffending and drinking and taking drugs to excess only increases your compulsive behaviour.
“You’re 28 years old and frankly you need to grow up and take responsibility.”
She backdated the custodial sentence to 10 June last year when Potts was remanded in custody.
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