AN alcoholic has been jailed for breaching conditions of a suspended sentence by assaulting a policeman and skipping probation meetings.

Keith Mathers was given a suspended prison term after he falsely told emergency services he had poured petrol over his daughter’s boyfriend’s car and wired it to explode in May 2008.

The 56-year-old, who has 19 convictions for various offences, was given a further suspended sentence for headbutting a police officer who tried to restrain him while he was being kept in a police cell last May.

Mathers, of Bardfield Road, Colchester, admitted breaking the conditions of his two suspended sentences by failing to attend probation appointments and assaulting a police officer after an incident at his daughter’s home in Holly Road, Stanway, on October 19 last year.

Carolyn Gardiner, prosecuting, told Chelmsford Crown Court police were called to a disturbance when Mather’s daughter, Martina, 22, was shouting and screaming.

She said: “His daughter got involved in a confrontation with police and was arrested. In the process, the defendant grabbed hold of one of the police officers and tried to push him away in order to free his daughter.

“He became violent and started to kick the officer.”

Stephen Rose, mitigating, told the court Mathers had mental health issues and a long-running problem with alcohol He said: “He didn’t mean to hurt anyone and he is sorry for what he did.”

Judge Anthony Goldstaub QC jailed Mathers for six months.

He said: “Colchester police would think we were not giving them any support, if we allowed him to get away with it twice.”