AN ISLE of Wight man who punched a police officer outside a Ryde bar, told a court his actions were out of character and theorised his beer may have been spiked.

Terry King, of Arthur Street, Ryde, admitted assaulting PC Andrew Buchanan by beating, outside Coburg's, on Union Street, during the early hours of July 9.

The Crown Prosecution Service withdrew a public order offence charge relating to the incident.

The officer, part of the police's licensing and alcohol harm reduction team, said King was being "somewhat aggressive" and told him to "go away, go home and get out of the area," said Ann Smout, prosecuting, at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court.

Initially, King complied, but he returned a short time later and continued to be aggressive, which made the officer's mind up to arrest him.

"He simply wasn't taking any notice of the instruction to go away and go," said Mrs Smout.

As the officer went to make the arrest, King swung a punch at him, which caught his forehead, causing a 2cm cut — but he took King down to ground and cuffed him.

When interviewed, King initially denied the assault and that his punch had not connected — going on to say the officer provoked and wound him up.

King, 43, with no previous convictions and a carer for his elderly mother, was unrepresented in court.

He told the bench: "I drank too much and still cannot recollect what happened — or why it happened."

He said he thought it had been a 'scuffle' until he saw CCTV.

"When I was shown the CCTV footage, I broke down. I could see what I was arrested for. My language alone was enough to get me arrested. It was disgusting."

He believes his out of character behaviour may have been caused by someone spiking his beer with a 'Jager' shot.

He said he sincerely apologised.

Magistrates handed King a 12-month probation order, to include 90 hours' unpaid work and an order to pay PC Buchanan £100 compensation, with £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.

A written apology to PC Buchanan was handed in.