A FORMER soldier who drunkenly attacked two police officers has been given a community order at Oxford Crown Court.

Benjamin Dickson, of Stocks Walk, Carterton, kicked Pc Conor Breen in the mouth and used his foot to pin Pc Paul Jackson to a police car on April 29.

Dickson, who had been discharged from the army for medical reasons, had been arrested for an assault he did not commit. The 25-year-old pleaded guilty to assaulting a Pc and assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Witney Magistrates’ Court.

At Oxford Crown Court on Friday, Dickson was given a community order with a supervision requirement for 18 months and ordered to attend an offenders’ substance-abuse programme, with conditions including that he did not drink alcohol or go into pubs. He was also told to pay the officers £250 compensation each, along with £250 costs.

Judge Patrick Eccles said: “Two police officers came to deal with you. They didn’t deserve that you should be kicking out at them and behaving in the way you did.”