An unlicensed driver spotted behind the wheel of a van displaying cloned plates kicked a police officer in the groin as he was being arrested.

Father-of-three Charlie Dash was spotted driving a Peugeot Partner van in Maidstone Road, Chatham, in September, when officers decided to pull him over because the plate didn’t tally with the make and model of his vehicle.

However, as they put on their blue lights to flag him to pull over, the 27-year-old carried on driving along several streets before he came to a stop.

Dash, who had a female passenger in the van, then got out to speak to officers, but started shouting and waving his arms about and as officers were putting him in handcuffs, he kicked one in the groin.

Back at the station, Dash calmed down and was given a breath test, which he failed. When officers checked, he was also found to be driving without a licence or insurance.

Dash, of Daffodil Avenue, Minster on Sheppey, was charged with an assault on an emergency worker, drink-driving, driving without a licence, failing to stop and driving without insurance.

He admitted all the offences when he appeared in the dock on Friday (October 20). Medway Magistrates Court heard he had 58 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Dylan Bradshaw, prosecuting, said the incident happened just before 5am on September 15.

He added: “There was a brief pursuit, but not even a chase, it was just three or four streets before he stopped.

“There was a female in the van and he gets out and is aggy and starts waving his arms about and starts shouting and he is arrested and kicked one officer.”

The prosecutor also said the PC felt frustrated by the incident as Dash kicking out at him was a deliberate act and he also suffered some scratches during the tussle with Dash while he was being put in handcuffs.

Magistrates also heard Dash, who suffered with mental health issues and ADHD, had broken up with his long-term girlfriend and had turned to drink as a coping mechanism and had only gone out for a drive that morning to get his mind off things.

They were also told he had not been thinking straight at the time and was upset about the break-up of his relationship, but admitted lashing out and grabbing the handcuffs.

Magistrates decided the assault on the officer did pass the custody threshold, but they decided to suspend a 56-day sentence for 18 months.

They also ordered him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation sessions with probation. He was banned from driving for 36 months and fined £100 for the drink-driving offence.

Magistrates also fined him £100 for failing to stop and £100 for driving without insurance, but he received no separate penalty for driving without a licence. His licence was endorsed, however.

Dash was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154 and £85 costs.