A 23-year-old man from Coalisland, County Tyrone, received a five-month jail sentence for assaulting three PSNI officers. The incident occurred on January 28 after police responded to a 999 call around 9.30pm reporting that Miguel Caetanito of Canal Place was armed with a knife and self-harming.

Officers arrived to intervene but Caetanito turned aggressive and assaulted them. During transport to custody, he spat inside the police cell van, requiring it to be cleaned before reuse.

In custody, Caetanito provided no comment during his interview. None of the officers suffered significant injuries.

The court heard that Caetanito had been released from custody earlier that day on a separate matter. A defence solicitor stated he struggles with alcohol misuse.

District Judge Francis Rafferty noted Caetanito's record and imposed the sentence along with compensation payments to the officers. The case was heard at Dungannon Magistrates Court.