Police officer suffered a broken ankle in ‘Mad Friday’ attack

A police officer attending an incident in Preston city centre on ‘Mad Friday’ had to have plates and screws inserted into his foot after he was pushed to the ground and broke his ankle.

Giovanni Mfuni, 20, had been thrown out of Rift club in Main Sprit Weind on Friday December 21 – but was drunk and angry at the situation, Preston Crown Court heard.

After rowing with doormen, two police officers were called in to eject him from the area.

Mfuni – who was on bail for another offence of resisting arrest at the time – grappled with the police as they tried to arrest him.

He was pushed into a doorway, in an attempt to calm him down, but as he pushed back, one of the officers fell to the floor and did not get up.

He was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where X-rays showed he had a broken ankle, which led to him having time off work.

Mfuni, of Brother Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to Section 20 wounding and appeared at Preston Crown Court to be sentenced.

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The court heard Mfuni had fled civil war as a child and was now studying music technology at university – although he also works in the hair care industry.

On the night of the incident he was out with his ex girlfriend, on Mad Friday, the Friday before Christmas popular with partygoers, who he now recognises did not have a calming influence on him.

Recorder Murray, sentencing, said: “You have a previous conviction for similar offences on the face of it but I am told they were in a domestic setting.

“You were involved in a situation with police officers who were there to keep the peace. I am quite satisfied you were drunk, which does you no favours at all.

“Because you were drunk you were not keen on being arrested, which is unsurprising but it does not justify the way you were behaving.

“There was the injury of the officer – which I regard as serious – and you were responsible for it.

“It is a question of whether you go to prison now, or young offenders institute, or whether I give you the opportunity to prove to everybody that you can live a life where you don’t commit offences and you behave properly.”

The judge handed Nfumi an eight month sentence suspended for 18 months, with 25 days rehabilitation activity requirement and 100 hours unpaid work.

Nfumi agreed it was a fair sentence and promised the judge he would comply.