A BULLY branded a "Jekyll and Hyde" who stamped on a police officer and broke a bone in his hand was jailed for four months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Michael Kash, 31, was agressive and foul-mouthed after officers had been called to a domestic at his home and carried on being abusive as he was taken to the police van.

His barrister said he drank to relieve pressure every now and again -- but recorder Heather Lloyd said it was more than now and again and while it may relieve him, it did nothing for his partner and her children.

She said the defendant was aggressive, violent and a bully. She went on: "You really are sometimes a Jekyll and Hyde character."

The judge added the police had a difficult enough job to do, often found themselves in vulnerable situations and should know if they were injured on duty it would not be brushed under the carpet.

She told Kash, who had claimed his days of crime were behind him: "The public will see that the police will be protected when they go to incidents such as this. You can't come to the courts again and again and say your offending days are over."

Kash, of Windsor Street, Colne, had admitted assault causing actual bodily harm, last December 27.

Fraser Livesey, prosecuting, said four officers, including victim PC Ian Davison arrived at the defendant's home.

They tried to calm him down and decided to arrest the defendant because they believed young children were in the house. Kash was told he would be handcuffed, became increasingly uncontrollable and lashed out at PC Davison with his foot, kicking him in a stamping motion. He later said he had not meant to injure the officer.

John Woodward, defending, said Kash had been given a number of opportunities by the court and accepted custody was justified.

He had himself been subjected to a severe beating at the hands of an Asian gang and had ended up with a broken jaw and cheekbone. That had shaken him to his boots and he could now empathise with victims of attacks.

About three months ago, the defendant's partner Donna Kelly had left him and taken her children with her. The youngsters regarded him as their father and looked to him for guidance and he had not shown them a very good example when being aggressive and violent towards their mother. Kash wanted to turn over a new leaf.

Mr Woodward said Miss Kelly and the defendant were now talking and she was thinking long and hard about them being reconciled.

He was not drinking nearly as much now, or spending a lot of money and making his life and everybody else's a misery.

The barrister added if Kash was sent to custody, he could lose his home, his job and family. He went on: "The defendant is asking for one last chance, although it is arguable whether he deserves it."