A THUG who kicked an off-duty police officer in the head in an unprovoked attack has been jailed.

Policeman Paul Woodmason was enjoying a night out in York with his wife and fellow officer Katy, when Lee Codona came up behind them and punched Mr Woodmason to the ground, said Rob Galley, prosecuting, at York Crown Court.

Then he put his foot on the officer’s head, swung it back and kicked him in the head before running off.

He had objected to Mr Woodmason pointing towards the Mogul restaurant in Tanner Row, as the two officers decided where to get a meal at 2am. Codona has previous convictions for injuring people by kicking them.

“It is clear to me particularly after drink is taken you have a very low flashpoint for violence,” Judge Shaun Spencer QC told him. He jailed Codona for 16 months.

Codona, 23, of Askham Lane, Acomb, pleaded guilty to causing Mr Woodmason actual bodily harm.

Mr Galley said Codona had been drinking. When Mr Woodmason pointed towards the restaurant, Codona said: “What are you pointing at?” When Mrs Woodmason tried to defuse the situation by saying it was not at him, Codona started swearing and came up behind them.

After the attack, Codona ran off and scaled a fence, but police on duty searched the area and found him hiding under patio furniture in a garden.

Mr Woodmason suffered cuts and swelling to the back and right side of his head and his forehead, and bruises on his body.

Nicholas Barker, for Codona, said he had been depressed at the time. He was drinking to excess and taking cannabis and mephedrone, the “legal high” recently banned from use.

He had not planned the attack, but acted under the influence of alcohol.