An Ipswich man has called it “petty” of police to charge him with assaulting an officer.

Ipswich Star: Connor Murton told magistrates he threw a cigarette paper at a police officer Picture: ARCHANTConnor Murton told magistrates he threw a cigarette paper at a police officer Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

Connor Murton told a court he threw a screwed up cigarette paper at the officer when police entered his mother’s address on April 1.

“I’m guilty,” he admitted at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court, but added: “It’s just very petty.”

Prosecutor Lesla Small explained police had attended the Mildmay Road address in connection with another matter, over which no further action was taken.

“It was apparent the defendant had just got out of the bath because he was in the living room with a towel around his waist,” said Ms Small.

After being escorted upstairs to get dressed, the 21-year-old became “increasingly agitated” at the accompanying officer when told he would not be allowed to send a text message to his girlfriend.

“He then picked up an object, turned round and threw it at the officer, striking him on the left side of his stab vest,” added Ms Small, who described the object as a packet of Rizzla cigarette rolling papers.

“It was done with enough force for the officer to physically take control.”

Murton was said to have lashed out and shoved the officer with both hands after being grabbed by the T-shirt and asked if he was mad.

In a subsequent interview, he accepted lifting his hands but denied pushing the officer, arguing he was annoyed at police for damaging the front door to his mother’s home.

Murton told the court: “They had no right to come through the front door.”

Pulling a cigarette paper from his pocket, he argued from the dock: “This is what I threw at him.

“I didn’t push him. He came at me and I put my hands up.

“On a day-to-day basis, what a police officer has to go through, and I’m in court for this?

“The thing I was being arrested for had nothing to do with me. I was NFA’d.

“My mother had to pay for another front door, and I have to pay her back.

“I don’t go round assaulting people.

“It was in the heat of the moment and I threw a Rizzla at him.”

Murton was fined £40 and told to pay a statutory victim surcharge of £30.