AN OFF duty policeman has been praised for saving a Chester man from serious injury during a late night assault.

PC Rhys Nevett was heading to his home in Hoole after a night out in Chester when he rounded a corner to see a large man launch an unprovoked attack.

Glynn Williams, of South Way, Blacon, was setting about a smaller man Darren Simon, on Westminster Road, Hoole.

The young officer, without a thought to his own safety, intervened pushing Williams away, Chester Crown Court heard, before calling his on-duty colleagues and tending to the injured Mr Simon.

PC Nevett, giving evidence at Williams’ hearing on Monday, said: ‘It’s difficult to get involved in violent confrontations especially when drink is involved.

‘The larger man (Williams) was punching and kicking the smaller man. I couldn’t just walk past.’

The court heard he managed to fend off the burly 41-year-old forklift truck driver, and then watched where he went.

The Recorder of Chester, Judge Elgan Edwards, said: ‘You didn’t have to get involved, you could have easily walked the other way but in fact what you did was very laudable in preventing any further assault.

The Chief Constable should be aware what police constables do even in their own time.’

Williams had admitted committing actual bodily harm but claimed he had been provoked.

Judge Edwards ruled Williams launched the attack and had kicked Mr Simon, smashing his nose and blacking his eyes.

Williams sent to jail for 14 months.