An un-represented man defended himself against charges of assaulting an officer yesterday.

Tracey Gladstone Gibbons, of Cedar Park Road, Devonshire, was charged with assaulting P.c. Richard Saints on January 6, 2007.

The 32-year-old was also charged with obstructing P.c. Andy Beaupierre, resisting arrest and using offensive words. He denied the charges. P.c. Beaupierre told the court that he was arresting another individual at Cedar Park when Gibbons came up to them and said: “F**k off, stop harassing people.”

Gibbons was asked to leave the area but he refused and continued to yell profanities. He also tried to stop officers from putting handcuffs on the man.

P.c. Beaupierre said he attempted to arrest Gibbons at that point but the defendant broke free of his grip and pushed him in the chest. He said: “Once I regained my balance I again approached the defendant to arrest him when I saw him empty the green bottle he was holding and lift his right arm as if he was going throw the bottle at me.

“I took my captor spray and sprayed it in the direction of the defendant.”

The defendant was sprayed a second time before officers were able to arrest him and take him to the Hamilton Police Station.

P.c. Beaupierre said: “I was in the process of telling him that arrangements were being made to take him to see a doctor when he launched, without warning, into an unprovoked vicious attack on P.c. Saints. He punched him in his head.”

P.c. Beaupierre explained that he was not sure if the defendants eyes were closed the entire time he was at the station but did notice that his eyes were closed at various times, which was common for people who came into contact with captor spray he said.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner adjourned the trial till January 29 and Gibbons was granted $2,000 bail and required to get one surety.