A thug who sprayed a police officer in the face with CS gas before trying to grab for a meat cleaver as he was being arrested was behind bars on Wednesday.
Police rushed to Dundee’s Hilltown after a taxi driver spotted Josh Bray carrying the cleaver and a metal pole as he got out of the cab.
When PCs Lee Ford-Logie and Shaunni Morris arrived they found Bray standing in the street.
He immediately began reaching for the waistband of his shorts where the weapons were stashed when police approached.
The officers urged him to show his hands before PC Ford-Logie drew his spray and fired it at Bray as he refused to comply.
Fiscal depute Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court that instead of dropping his weapons Bray instead reached into his pocket and pulled out his own canister of CS gas.
Miss Rasheed said: “He thereafter sprayed Constable Ford-Logie to the face and eyes with CS spray.
“The constable couldn’t see from his right eye at that time and the accused refused to desist.
“Constables Morris and Ford-Logie struck the accused a number of times with her baton.
“The accused continued to resist and was shouting and swearing and trying to reach for the meat cleaver in his shorts.”
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She said PC Ford-Logie managed to get one of Bray’s hands in to a rigid handcuff.
“He repeatedly refused to release the CS canister from his other hand and continued to make repeated efforts to reach for the meat cleaver in his waistband and refused to desist,” she added.
“Several officers then arrived and the accused was secured on the ground.
“The meat cleaver was then recovered from the waistband area of his shorts.”
Bray, 23, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pleaded guilty on indictment to assault, police assault and a charge under the Firearms Act, all committed on June 30.
Defence solicitor Stuart Hamilton told the court that Bray “wished to express his remorse towards the two officers”.
He added: “They were undoubtedly frightened in the situation.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports.
Bray was remanded in custody meantime.
