A WANTED man who pushed a police officer, causing him to fall over and hit his head, has been sentenced at court.

Ashley Pring, also known as Ashley Lacey-Pring, was sentenced at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after admitting an offence of assault with intent to resist arrest.

At around 7pm on Wednesday, officers from Dorset Police’s No Excuse team saw the defendant’s vehicle parked on the forecourt at KFC on Ringwood Road in Ferndown.

A check of his details revealed that Pring, aged 23 and of no fixed abode, was wanted on a court warrant for breaching a community order.

Officers entered KFC to speak to Pring, who was initially calm and compliant. However, when they went to arrest him, the defendant resisted and pushed one of the officers, causing him to fall back and hit his head on the pavement.

The officer sustained a cut to his head as well as bruising to his forearm and cuts to his elbows. He required hospital treatment for his injuries but has since returned to duty.

Following the assault, Pring ran from the scene and was arrested later that night in the Southampton area by officers from Hampshire Police.

After entering a guilty plea at court, Pring received a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and compensation of £200.

Pring’s existing community order was also revoked and he was handed a further eight-week term on his suspended sentence, taking the total to 20 weeks.

Police Constable Leonard, from the No Excuse team, said: “Ashley Pring’s violent behaviour saw him assault an officer who was simply trying to do his job.

“I would like to thank our colleagues in Hampshire for their assistance in arresting the defendant so he could swiftly face the courts to be held to account for his actions.”