A man who assaulted, threatened and violently resisted a police officer has been ordered to participate in the Mental Health Treatment Court programme.

Justin Mateo, 33, admitted the offences, as well as riding a bike without due care and attention, when he appeared in Magistrates’ Court in August, and reappeared in court yesterday for sentencing.

The court heard that officers stopped Mateo, from St George’s, after he overtook them in Hamilton Parish in November 2023.

Mateo pulled away from one officer while being handcuffed and called him “the worst f*****g cop I’ve ever seen”.

Other officers eventually restrained Mateo and took him to Hamilton Police Station.

Victoria Greening, Mateo’s lawyer, highlighted her client’s early guilty plea and the remorse expressed in his social inquiry report, and suggested that he be given a conditional discharge for the offences.

Senior magistrate Maxanne Anderson ordered that Mateo observe Mental Health Treatment Court beginning on November 28 and extended his bail until that time.

• It is The Royal Gazette’s policy not to allow comments on stories regarding court cases. As we are legally liable for any libellous or defamatory comments made on our website, this move is for our protection as well as that of our readers