A BOVEY Tracey teenager who punched a policeman so hard he needed stitches and had to be signed off duty, after trying to break up a fight in the town, has been remanded in custody to be sentenced.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, threatened police saying 'they were going to have it' before attacking PC Mark Le Breton on Friday night.

PC Le Breton was left with two black eyes, and needed nine stitches to his face, after he was left with a 'catalogue of injuries', Torbay magistrates heard.

The youth pleaded guilty to one charge of causing actual bodily harm when he appeared in court yesterday.

But magistrates decided not to grant a request from the Herald Express to lift reporting restrictions to name the teenager, despite the 17-year-old being on bail for two other ABH matters and having a previous conviction for assaulting a police officer.

Speaking after the hearing temporary Teignbridge Superintendent Jim Meakin said: "This was an extremely violent assault, targeted at the police.

"Mark was supporting and policing his community at the time. Officers have a difficult job on the front line, however any assault on officers will not be tolerated.

"It wasn't a little scuffle, he came with the intent of hurting the police officer."

In court prosecutor Sonia Oldakowska said there was a fight in Fore Street, Bovey Tracey, on Friday and police managed to disperse the fight, but then the police heard the defendant shouting and swearing, saying: "You cops, you are going to have it."

The teenager then ran out of an alley and punched PC Mark Le Breton and continued punching him, leaving him with a catalogue of injuries.

Miss Oldakowska said PC Le Breton had two black eyes, one inch swelling under the black eye, nine stitches, a swollen and cut nose, abrasions to the top lip, swelling to the head and abrasions to the elbow and right shin.

She added the teenager has shown 'very little remorse' for the offence and that there was a concern that he would commit further offences while awaiting his sentence.

But in mitigation, the teenager's defence solicitor, Jeff Segan, said: "He has admitted his responsibility and he has pleaded guilty at the very first time of asking. He is just 17 years old and he isn't particularly very heavily convicted, so he hasn't come before the courts with monotonous regularity as his record isn't as bad as many you have come across."

South Devon Youth Offending Team said they would work with the teenager if he was granted bail, but chairman of the bench Judith Mears withheld bail and remanded the teenager in custody until Wednesday, August 19.

Supt Meakin said PC Le Breton was receiving 'support,' adding: "I would like to think the courts will support us to give out the appropriate sentence to protect the community and our officers who serve there."