A crazed man attacked a police officer in the middle of a drug-induced psychotic episode.
Christopher Fitzpatrick attacked PC Shauni Morris after a speed binge led to a paranoid meltdown on the Kingsway last year.
He appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court this week where he admitted attacking the constable on March 23 after she came to his aid, leaving her with a dislocated knee which required her to undergo physiotherapy.
The court heard that Fitzpatrick had planned to travel to Inverness, where he lived and worked at the time of the incident, when he took the class A substance.
However the drug induced a paranoid psychosis in him and he began to suspect he was in danger.
Fitzpatrick, whose address was given as Lime Grove, Polmont, Falkirk, called 999 and while he was in the midst of his call he was spotted by police officers, who were unaware he was calling the force.
PC Morris approached him and, fearing for his life, he asked if he could trust her and was told he could.
In an effort to subdue him officers handcuffed him and placed him in leg restraints before taking him away in a police van.
However during the journey Fitzpatrick managed to free himself from his leg supports but subsequently fell over and appeared to knock himself out.
The officers subsequently pulled over and were about to open the back of the van to check on him when he forced the door open and fell on top of PC Morris with his handcuffed hands around her throat,
Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to assaulting PC Morris to her severe injury by striking her on the face and pushing her on the body, which caused her to fall to the ground, and then fell on top of her with his hands around her throat, and repeatedly attempt to strike her with his arms and legs.
Defence agent Debbie Wilson told the court Fitzpatrick it was believed the drug had been mixed with another substance to make it significantly stronger, which led to his epsiode.
She said Fitzpatrick had been out of control, and had attempted to get some air by forcibly opening the van door which led to him falling on PC Morris.
The fiscal said that he could not remember the incident but was extremely remorseful and had regularly asked her if she knew if the constable had recovered from her injuries.
Sheriff Lorna Drummond suggested he wrote a letter to the officer, but Fitzpatrick said he wanted to wait until he was sentenced because he didn’t want it to appear like he was trying to “curry favour” with the court.
The sheriff deferred sentence until next month to allow for a criminal justice social work report to be prepared.
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