A DRINKER who broke a policeman’s ankle has been jailed for 30 months.

Traffic officer David Minto was off work for months and on restricted duties when he did return to duty, York Crown Court heard.

Shane Anthony Povey, 38, who had been drinking, was angry police were trying to stop his nephew fighting another man, said Stephen Littlewood, prosecuting.

He pushed TC Minto over and as he fell the officer heard his ankle break, and lay in agony. He suffered a broken tibia and fibia and needed surgery twice.

Released on bail, Povey badgered a woman for hours with demands for money before going to her home with a knife. She refused to let him in.

“She was terrified and sat shaking on the sofa with her friend in her house in silence” while Povey slashed her mobility car’s tyres and damaged it and her front door, said Mr Littlewood.

Povey, of Dene Park, Harrogate, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to TC Minto, harassing the woman and carrying a knife outside her home.

“There has to be an immediate sentence of imprisonment,” said Judge Simon Hickey. “It was a serious assault on a public servant, who was simply carrying out his public duty. It has had an extreme ongoing effect upon him.”

He jailed Povey for 30 months and made a 10-year restraining order to protect the woman.

Both TC Minto and North Yorkshire Chief Constable Lisa Winward told the court injuries to police officers affected the force’s ability to police the county.

TC Minto said the injury had a massive impact on his and his family life.

For Povey, Ian Cook said he had been drinking heavily at the time of the offences. He had depended on the woman for emotional and practical support and had been very distressed when she ended their relationship. The judge accepted that Povey had drunk heavily to blot out his thoughts of the police officer’s injury.