A man who kicked a police officer while high on ketamine has been sentenced.

Dyfed-Powys Police were called on August 24 last year after a member of the public suspected the driver of a car was drink driving.

The car was found abandoned on Mill Pond Lane in Pembrokeshire, but the officers then saw Jareth Saxton, of Dihewyd, Ceredigion, fleeing from the scene.

There was a struggle on the floor, before the defendant was handcuffed and initially calmed.

He was searched, and the officers discovered 29.8 grams of ketamine on him. It was at this point Saxton began to kick out at the officers.

He connected with one of the officers, kicking him in the stomach and the upper leg.

The officer had also sustained a “particularly nasty” grazed hand in the initial struggle.

“It was clear to the officers he was under the influence of drugs as he was vacant, jittery and his actions were unpredictable,” the prosecution said.

Whilst in custody, Saxton admitted the white powder was ketamine, and apologised to the officers for his actions.

The following day, his caravan was searched and 12 grams of cannabis was found in a plastic tub.

He initially claimed in his interview that he had kicked out because the officers were sat on him and were kneeling on his neck, but this was disproved using the officers’ body-worn camera footage.

He said the ketamine was for his own personal use, as he was using up to 10 grams a day at the time.

At the time, Saxton was on bail for a charge of possession with intent to supply ketamine – for which he was sentenced in January.

That offence, the 26-year-old’s one previous conviction, saw him receive eight months, suspended for two years, 250 hours of unpaid work, and 30 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.

Simon Kitchen, defending, said Saxton was addressing his issues with addiction, and had contacted the Dyfed Drug and Alcohol Service (DDAS) after his arrest for his previous offence in January 2021.

“The defendant is doing very well in his recovery from long-term addiction from ketamine,” he said. “He has been drug-free since August.

“He is motivated to maintain his abstinence from illicit drugs.”

Mr Kitchen said Saxton had left university to take up employment, but had fallen into addiction after suffering “a series of tragedies” – including losing his job due to the coronavirus lockdown, the breakdown of a three-year relationship, and the deaths of a number of friends.

He added Saxton was in work and was now studying at the Open University, and had “done everything right since [the incident] and has become a positive member of society”.

Addressing Saxton kicking the officer, Mr Kitchen said: “He thought he was being dealt with heavy-handedly.

“At that time his mind was addled by the use of ketamine.”

Saxton admitted assaulting an emergency worker and possessing the ketamine.

Recorder Simon Hughes handed Saxton a nine-week sentence for assaulting an emergency worker, suspended on the same terms as his current suspended sentence, running consecutively.

He must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 30 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.

For possessing of ketamine, he received a seven-day suspended sentence, running concurrently.

Saxton had denied the cannabis found in his caravan was his, but the prosecution did not seek a trial for this, and the charge will lie on file.