Attacker facing jail for battering Rotherham policeman

Michael Dolan (49) was warned by a judge at Sheffield Crown Court that he will be locked up next month for the attack on Pc Glen Hill at the Mail Coach in Rotherham town centre in November.

Pc Hill was repeatedly bashed over the head with his own CS gas canister and needed hospital treatment for a deep gash to his scalp.

Dolan, of Adelaide Street, Maltby, admitted today to unlawful wounding after the attack on November 12 last year at the Mail Coach on Wellgate.

Dolan had been due to stand trial after denying a grievous bodily harm charge at a previous hearing, but admitted the lesser offence of unlawful wounding when he appeared at court and is now due to be sentenced on April 16.

Mr Brian Outhwaite, prosecuting, told Sheffield Crown Court that the case fell into the “top end” of the sentencing guidelines for such an assault.

Mr Jim Baird, mitigating, agreed it was at the upper end of the scale and that it “clearly involved the use of a weapon.”

He said Dolan had a number of medical problems which needed to be explored in a pre-sentence report.

Recorder Christopher Attwooll, ordering pre-sentence reports, told Dolan: “You will understand I am sure with this sort of offence, assaulting an officer seriously in the execution of his duty will almost inevitably attract a lengthy custodial sentence.”

Pc Hill — who returned to work in January — is normally based at Maltby, but responded as there was nobody available at Rotherham’s main police station just half a mile away from the assault.