Men jailed for attacking off-duty police officers

Two men have been jailed after they assaulted off-duty police officers in a West Malling pub in May 2013.

Jack Botton and Tommy Dunn interrupted a private party in a function room at The Farm House pub, and when asked to leave attacked two police officers causing one of them to partially lose sight in an eye.

Botton, 22, of Windmill Lane West, West Malling and Dunn, 24, of Holland Road, Maidstone had tried to enter the party after leaving the main part of the pub during the evening of 10 May 2013.

After being told to leave they refused.

The victims intervened and identified themselves as off-duty officers for the Metropolitan Police.

Dunn and Botton attacked the men using a beer bottle and their fists.

Botton struck one officer over the head with the bottle before he then jabbed it into the other officer’s eye.

The offenders then tried to goad other people at the party into a fight.

A witness took photos of them both whilst pretending to make a phone call and the images were later used to help police identify and arrest both men.

During police interview, Botton at first said he couldn’t remember anything from the evening.

He then changed his story and claimed he had come to the rescue of a man being attacked in a fight, but didn’t throw any punches himself.

Appearing at Maidstone Crown Court on 3 June 2015, Botton was sentenced to 5 and a half years in prison. Dunn was jailed for 13 months.

Botton had previously admitted two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent.

Dunn had pleaded guilty to two counts of assault, occasioning actual bodily harm.