“Remarkably drunk” Chesterfield youth assaulted police in town centre, court hears

Daniel Benjafield, 22, kicked an officer in the legs and chest after being bundled into the back of a police van during a “disturbance” on Holywell Street on July 2.

Chesterfield Magistrates Court heard the assault came about after officers passing some trouble at around 10pm saw Benjafield “trying to walk around” and “not making much sense”.

Prosecutor Ben Payne described how the 22-year-old “tensed up”, “shouting and swearing” as officers approached him - becoming “abusive” when an officer handcuffed him to keep him under control.

After a scuffle in the back of a police van Benjafield was taken into custody.

The town centre incident came just three months after the defendant was in court for crashing a car while drunk and high on cocaine.

Magistrates heard in April that when police showed up at the accident scene on Matlock Road the youth told police someone called “Dave” had been driving.

Benjafield’s solicitor Steve Brint, defending his client over the latest town centre offence, said he had been taking PTSD medication at the time - which mixed badly with the alcohol.

Mr Brint said lockdown had affected Benjafield “quite badly” and he had “relished” socialising with friends when pubs reopened again.

However he added: “The effect on him of drinking that day has certainly affected his consequential thinking skills - he didn’t have a clue what he was doing.”

The solicitor said Benjafeld had “an issue with people touching him” which was “part and parcel of his mental health issues”.

He said: “This is a young man who has woken up the following day and certainly regretted all of his actions.”

He read out “glowing” references from the defendant’s current employers who described him as having “a fantastic attitude”, adding “he has never been late” or “absent”.

Benjafield, of Hartington Road, Spital, admitted being drunk and disorderly and common assault of an emergency worker.

He was given a 12-month community order with 40 hours’ unpaid work and made to pay £85 court costs, £50 compensation and a £95 victim surcharge.

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