A TOPLESS man bit a police officer and kicked another into a van as the pair attempted to restrain him.

Jamie Munnik lashed out at the officers who came to his aid after he was himself assaulted during an argument with a relative.

The qualified mechanic, 26, kicked one officer, sending her flying back into a police van.

He then twice bit her fellow officer, in the calf and in the stomach, the latter which broke through the officer’s shirt and left a row of teeth marks.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court, Munnik, from New Milton, was given a suspended prison sentence.

The court heard how officers attended Munnik’s address, in Woodvale Gardens, after reports of a domestic incident on November 17.

As they drove to the address, they found a topless Munnik walking down Manor Road near New Milton High Street.

They attempted to detain Munnik, who began to resist.

Prosecutor Edward Elton told the court that Munnik kicked one officer in the stomach and back into a police van, later biting another officer in the calf.

Munnik then bit the officer again, this time in the stomach.

Mr Elton said: “At this point he was laid on the ground and he proceeded to bite the officer in the stomach.

“It broke though his shirt and he was worried.

“The injury was more visible the next morning and there was bruising."

Reading a victim impact statement from the officer, Mr Elton said the incident had resulted in the officer taking antibiotics, for fear of infection, and had left him awaiting the results of a tests for transmittable diseases.

In the statement, the officer said: “I want him to know that what he did was not acceptable and there is no excuse for this sort of behaviour.”

In mitigation, David Freeland said Munnik, a father-of-two, had been a motor mechanic since the age of 16 and had taken unpaid leave in order to evaluate the incident.

He added: “This behaviour was very out of character.”

Munnik pleaded guilty to one count of causing actual bodily harm (ABH) and another count of assault by beating.

Sentencing Munnik to a 26-week sentence, suspended for two years, judge Richard Davison, described the incident as “absolutely shameful”.

He said: “These were undoubtedly serious bites which had a moderately serious consequence for the officer and his family.

“(The incident) was fuelled by drink, that does not excuse it.

“It was absolutely shameful.”

Munnik was given a 26-week sentence, suspended for two years.

Munnik was also ordered to pay compensation and complete 80 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £250 in compensation to the officer he bit and £100 to the officer he kicked.