Man to be sentenced at higher court after admitting assault on police officer

Case committed to Court of General Gaol Delivery following incident at police station

A 34-year-old man has been committed to the Court of General Gaol Delivery for sentence after admitting assaulting a police officer at Douglas Police Station.

Stephen Binding, of no fixed address and currently in custody at the Isle of Man Prison, appeared before magistrates charged with one count of actual bodily harm, one count of criminal damage and one count of possession of cannabis, all relating to an incident in October 2025.

The possession of cannabis charge was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

Binding pleaded guilty to the remaining charges of actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

The court heard that police had been called to Tromode House. Officers arrested Binding and transported him to the police station, where he was formally charged.

As he was being charged, the court was told Binding said to an officer: “I’m really going to kick off.” He then proceeded to gouge at the officer’s eyes, head-butt them and strike them to the face.

The officer attempted to defend themselves and deployed PAVA spray.

The criminal damage charge arose after Binding struck the officer in the face, breaking their glasses during the altercation.

The incident was captured on CCTV at the police station.

Medical evidence presented to the court indicated the officer sustained an injury to their elbow, involving a fragment of bone, as a result of the incident.

When explaining his actions to police, Binding said: “Someone called the police for a bit of weed [cannabis]. If I’m going back to Jurby [prison], I might as well make it worthwhile.”

The prosecution asked magistrates to decline jurisdiction and commit the case to the Court of General Gaol Delivery, citing the seriousness of the offences on an emergency service worker.

Magistrates agreed and committed the case to the higher court for sentencing.

Binding was remanded in custody until 20 February.