A LANDSCAPE gardener punched a police officer during confusion after he accidentally turned off the lights in a Llangeitho property and an officer used incapacitant spray on him, magistrates have heard.

Xhai Robin Young, 40, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest in an incident on 5 January, although his solicitor insisted he had not intended to assault the officer but things had “got out of hand”.

Kevin Challinor, prosecuting, said police had gone to the property in Llangeitho following a call about an unrelated incident, but found Young, who is of no fixed abode, lying on the kitchen floor seemingly drunk.

When officers asked him to get up, he did, but was unsteady on his feet, but when officers told him he would have to leave the premises he punched one of the officers hitting him on the cheek.

As the officer stepped back to avoid the attack, Young managed to shut the door between them, but the other officer who was still in the room with Young started trying to restrain him.

Young began struggling and was tensing his arms to avoid being handcuffed, but the officer who had been punched by Young got back into the room and helped to try and subdue Young.

Eventually the officers used an incapacitant spray to allow them to arrest Young.

Mr Challinor said the officer who was attacked had suffered reddening to his cheek, but no serious injuries.

Defence solicitor Alison Mathias said that Young accepted he had been drinking, but said he had also taken valium and so may have appeared more drunk than he actually was.

She said Young had tried to turn more lights on to help the police, but had accidentally turned the lights off. He was then hit with the spray following the lights going off.

Ms Mathias said Young had hit out in the confusion and struck an officer without intending to, but that he accepted that he had been resisting arrest following that.

Young, who lives in his van, wanted to apologise and accepted that things had “got out of hand”, Ms Mathias said.

Young was fined £73, but will have to pay compensation to the officer he assaulted of £50 and costs of £105.