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Video: Man Pushes Policewoman Onto Tracks

Video: Man Pushes Policewoman Onto Tracks

A racist thug who pushed a policewoman onto railway lines as she tried to arrest him has been jailed for 30 months.

Kevin Phythian struggled with the officer as she attempted to detain him for running across live tracks onto a platform at Manchester Oxford Road station on 15 February.

The 32-year-old suddenly pushed her backwards, sending her flying backwards on to the tracks.

She was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken finger in the assault.

A quick-thinking station supervisor, who was also assaulted by Phythian, used an emergency phone to stop all trains on the line.

Phythian had earlier racially abused a member of staff at the station who had asked to see his ticket.

Detective Constable Mike Dermody said: "The sentence handed to Phythian demonstrates the severity of his actions and the danger that our frontline officers face every day.

"No officer should have to endure such violence when they are simply carrying out their job, and putting themselves in harm’s way to protect the public.

"Violence against our officers and rail staff will not be tolerated, and we will seek to have them dealt with swiftly by the courts. I would like to commend officers who quickly apprehended Phythian."

Phythian, from Runcorn, Cheshire, was sentenced to 18 months for aggravated bodily harm, six months for endangering rail safety, three months for racially-aggravated public order, and three months for common assault.