A MAN has been jailed for attacking his partner and a child - as well as four police officers.

Alan Easterbrook, 32, was convicted of a string of assaults when he appeared at Colchester Magistrates Court.

The court heard the assaults took place in Westcliff on December 21 last year and Easterbrook admitted assaulting the four police officers and the child, but initially denied assaulting his partner.

He changed his plea to guilty on the day the trial was set to take place this week.

The charges included one count of assaulting a woman, one count of assaulting a young girl and four counts of assaulting a police officer.

For the first incident, Easterbrook was jailed for 23 weeks because of “the domestic violence nature of the incident” and the fact it was a prolonged attack in the presence of children.

For his attack on the child, he was jailed for 17 weeks concurrently because, the court heard, “the offence was on a child and the prolonged nature of the incident which was in the presence of other children”.

He also received 17-week concurrent sentences for each assault on the Southend police officers, two of whom suffered injuries.

Easterbrook’s overall sentence will be one of 23 weeks in prison.

The court heart Easterbrook was jailed without a pre-sentence report because of his serious offending history and “immediate custody being the only option given the severity of the offending”.

Easterbrook was also made the subject of a one-year restraining order which prohibits him from contacting the woman or the child for the period of 12 months.

He must also not visit an address in Balmoral Road, Southend.

Colchester magistrates ordered Easterbrook of Bridgemarsh Lane, Althorne, to pay £100 in compensation to each injured officer - and £115 to victim services.

Information about the support available for those affected by domestic violence is at www.essex.police.uk/advice/domestic-abuse/

You can report issues to the police’s dedicated domestic abuse non-emergency number on 0800 358 0351.