A POLICE officer had to defend himself after trying to arrest a "much larger" man.

Blackburn magistrates heard the officer pepper-sprayed Gareth Edward Thomas but it had no effect and he responded by punching the officer to the back of the head several times.

PC Adeel Hussain managed to escape into the kitchen where he drew his baton. Thomas responded by picking up a metal lamp stand.

He was pepper-sprayed for a second time and struck on the arm with the officer's baton again without effect.

As he swung the lamp the officer struck on the defendant on the top of his head and he dropped the lamp and was overpowered as other officers arrived.

Thomas, 38, of The Shires, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assaulting PC Hussain failing to comply with a suspended prison sentence order and failing to comply with a community order.

He was jailed for a total of 16 weeks and ordered to pay £100 compensation to PC Hussain on release.

Andy Robinson, prosecuting, said police had been called to the family home after Thomas damaged his sister's car.

PC Hussain was taking a statement from her when Thomas returned to the property and the officer told him he was being arrested.

The defendant was aggressive and when the officer removed his pepper spray he said: "Spray me with that and you are dead."

Mr Robinson described the sequence of events that followed and said that after he dropped the lamp Thomas went towards the sink and the officer thought he might be going to get a knife.

"At that point other officers arrived and the defendant was overpowered and detained," said Mr Robinson.

"PC Hussain had been put in real fear because of the size of the defendant who was much bigger than him."

Daniel Frazer, defending, said his client accepted damaging his sister's car after which he left the house. When he returned the police officer was there.

"The officer sprayed him and he thought his sister hit him with the lamp," said Mr Frazer.

"In the melee he grabbed the lamp and was swinging out at anyone and everyone.

"The officer didn't receive any injuries but my client was taken straight to hospital because he had a nasty injury to the top of his head."