A footballer kicked a police sergeant to the ground during his arrest outside a strip club.
Former Swindon Town FC player Sol Pryce, 22, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker at Swindon Magistrates’ Court this morning (Wednesday).
Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, said police were called to a fight between two males outside Dream Lounge in Victoria Road at around 4.50am on 13 November last year.
Officers located Pryce at the scene but he was aggressive towards them and attempted to walk off when he was being spoken to. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of assault.
When they attempted to put him into the back of a police van, he kicked out and resisted – booting Police Sergeant Nathan Martin in the centre of his chest.
The officer stumbled backwards before falling onto the concrete sideways. He sustained a minor injury to his arm and elbow as a result of the assault.
In custody, he said that he’d been drinking in Swindon and gone on to the Dream Lounge. He told officers that he was “shocked” by his arrest and lashed out in the “heat of the moment”.
Mark Glendenning, defending, said it was his client’s friends who were taking part in the disorder police were responding to and he did not want to get involved so he attempted to go home.
But as he tried to leave the area, he was “surrounded by five officers and taken to the floor”. Mr Glendenning said he was “upset as he’d not done anything wrong”, adding that he “accepts he used a number of choice words”.
He said Pryce was unhappy about his arrest and he braced himself as the officers tried to push him into the police van. He went on to kick out but didn’t intend to cause any injury.
The defendant, of Hallam Moor, Swindon, was fined £461. He was told to pay PS Martin £100 compensation, £85 court costs and a £184 surcharge.
Pryce played for Swindon Town Football Club professionally in the season 2017-2018. In October 2022, he’s recorded as playing for Highworth Town. Prior to that, he was signed with Melksham Town.
An alleged offence of actual bodily harm, which was investigated by police, did not lead to a charge.
