Conditional discharge for man who got into ‘scuffle’ in school car park

Police had to use PAVA spray on 30-year-old

A Douglas man has been handed a two year conditional discharge after becoming involved in a ‘scuffle’ with police officers in a school car park.

Thirty-year-old Bobby Michael Williams, of Willaston Crescent, had to be sprayed with PAVA at St Ninian’s Lower School on 7 April.

At Douglas Courthouse this week he admitted resisting two police officers in the execution of their duty.

Williams had gone to the school at 2.30pm to speak to staff about a ‘dispute’ concerning his step-daughter but they called for assistance due to his ‘demeanour’.

When officers arrived they found him sitting in his car and refusing to get out; when he did he was described as being in an ‘agitated state’ and a struggle started.

Williams threw a pair of handcuffs and incapacitant spray had to be used to stop him from fighting.

The court heard Williams was ‘very distressed’ over the incident and had been struggling with poor mental health; his advocate said he’d had ‘good intentions’ but had ‘ended up in a scuffle’.  

Sentencing him High Bailiff Jayne Hughes described it as a ‘serious incident’ highlighting the use of PAVA spray: “That must have meant you were a handful to them,” she told him.

Williams was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £125.

A charge of using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour on the same date was withdrawn.