Man found guilty of attacking policeman called to his home in Kilmarnock

A man has been found guilty of assaulting a police officer at his home in Ayrshire after a row with his girlfriend about a social media photo.

Martin Crawford, 33 struck PC Derrick McCracken when he arrived at his home in Kilmarnock on June 19 2021, following a report of a domestic.

The 31 year-old constable told the court Crawford tried to gouge his eye out and choked him during an alleged murder bid.

Crawford had told jurors it was the police who had "left him for dead" accusing them of attacking him after he demanded they get a warrant.

He was found guilty of assaulting PC McCracken by punching him and grabbing the officer by the neck to his injury following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

The jury removed the allegation Crawford attempted to murder the officer which included claims he compressed his neck, left him unconscious and did gouge his eye with his fingers.

It emerged after the verdict Crawford already had a number of convictions for violence.

Judge Simon Collins KC sentenced him to 18 months, but back-dated the jail term to when he was first remanded in June 2021 meaning he had already effectively served the punishment.

Police had been called to Crawford's home after reports of an alleged early hours "domestic incident".

Crawford had stormed off after what he said was a "daft argument over nothing" with his partner about a photo with love heart emojis.

PC McCracken was there with three colleagues when he returned to the house.

Crawford claimed his name was the same as TV personality Jeff Brazier.

He told jurors how he asked police to leave or get a warrant.

The court heard officers followed him inside before PC McCracken attempted to take hold of him.

PC McCracken claimed during the trial: "I took hold of his left hand with my right hand.

"He punched me on the left side of the face. It knocked me off balance.

"I was shocked by it. He pulled me towards his body and put me in some sort of choke hold."

The officer told the trial Crawford "overpowered" him.

He alleged: "He was restricting my breathing...compressing my windpipe.

"It rendered me unable to try and restrain him and basically use my body.

"I then lost ability to try and break free. It was also the fact that I was starting to go unconscious.

"The next thing I recall was a finger in my eye trying to pull my left eyeball out."

The officer alleged to have been in "excruciating pain".

Jurors were told police had to apparently use pepper spray, two sets of handcuffs and leg constraints to eventually control Crawford.

Donald Findlay KC, defending, went on to state Crawford refuted PC McCracken's claims effectively insisting he was the victim that morning.

The officers were said to have been "angry" as Crawford had challenged them about getting a warrant.

Mr Findlay said the police "completely lost control of themselves" in the back garden.

The defence advocate put to the constable: "You being throttled is a downright lie."

PC McCracken: "It is not a lie."

In his evidence, Crawford said it was a "complete fabrication" he choked the officer.

He also claimed to have been assaulted by police after being put in handcuffs including seven or eight times with a baton.

Crawford said: "They left me lying for dead. I thought I was going to die. That's what happened."

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