A POLICE officer almost choked by a thug he had arrested was so sickened by the attack that he considered leaving the force, a court was told.

PC Craig Budden was physically sick several times after the incident in the custody area of Maidstone police station in April this year.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that 28-year-old Dean Jones held the officer in a headlock, tightening his arm around his throat. The violent struggle only ended when other officers managed to restrain Jones.

PC Budden, who had arrested Jones following a road-rage incident in which he shunted his ex-girlfriend's car, was left with a neck injury, a cut between his eyebrows, swelling to his chin and grazing to his cheek.

In a witness statement read in court, the officer said he was seriously considering resigning because he was "fed up being assaulted by people who had no respect for the law or the justice system"

PC Budden was so upset that he even wrote that by the time the matter came to court he believed he would be made out to be a liar.

"I have no doubt that had my colleagues not been there, Jones would have succeeded in his attempt to strangle me," he added.

Jones, who is currently serving 28 months for a number of offences including assault with intent to resist arrest, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm at a previous magistrates' court hearing and was committed to the crown court for sentence.

He also admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, having a bladed article in a public place and three offences of handling stolen goods.

Jones, of Tal-Y-Wern, Port Talbot, was jailed for a total of two-and-a-half years. He was also made subject to an extended licence period of two-and-a-half years and banned from driving for three years.

Passing sentence from the court via a TV link with HMP Peterborough, Judge Stephen Robbins told Jones he had an appalling record of violence.

The judge added: "I concur with the assessment in the probation report that you present a high risk of harm to the general public and it appears self-evident that until you are able to reduce your alcohol consumption and learn to control your anger the risk of further offending is high."

Judge Robbins also ordered that Jones serves his sentence consecutively to his current spell behind bars.