Police sergeant left with fractured bones as hand crushed

Mark McEntee fractured the officer’s bones during a drug-fuelled outburst of aggression at a PSNI station in Belfast.

The 42-year-old, of Glassheena Road in Downpatrick, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm, a further assault on police, disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard officers encountered McEntee in his hometown amid concerns for his wellbeing on March 21 this year.

He was initially detained under the Mental Health Order and taken to the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald, but was then arrested due to his deteriorating behaviour.

At one point he had bitten open an old wound while a doctor treated him in the Emergency Department.

As officers transported him to Musgrave PSNI Station, McEntee became increasingly volatile and declared that he had a quantity of cannabis.

In custody he threatened to harm others and tried to headbutt one of the police officers attempting to restrain him.

A Crown lawyer said a sergeant at the station then entered McEntee’s cell in a bid to calm him down.

Instead, however, the defendant had to be taken to the ground because of his increasingly aggressive behaviour.

“Whilst on the ground he trapped the sergeant’s left arm under his body, crushing his hand into the ground,” the prosecutor added.

It was previously disclosed that the injured officer sustained fractures in the incident.

Defence counsel Michael Boyd told the court McEntee had been suffering a mental health crisis and acted under the influence of drugs.

“Everything about this case is depressingly familiar, it just doesn’t normally end up with an officer sustaining an injury like that,” the barrister submitted.

“Mr McEntee in sobriety is extremely apologetic for what happened.”

But District Judge Anne Marshall highlighted his “appalling” criminal record, which included 40 previous assaults on police.

She confirmed: “Giving credit for his plea, the appropriate sentence is nine months immediate custody.”