Luke Armfield, Collaroy Plateau: Maths tutor, 49, sentenced in court for giving cop a black eye

After downing two bottles of scotch, a Sydney maths tutor passed out. When emergency services woke him, he violently lashed out and ended up on assault charges. See what happened in court

A maths tutor on a whisky bender — who gave a police officer a black eye and chipped tooth during a violent arrest — has been sentenced in Manly Local Court.

Luke Armfield, 49, smashed the male constable twice in the face just moments after ambulance paramedics woke him after he had passed out in a granny flat under his mum’s house.

His mother said her son, who is a diagnosed alcoholic, had knocked off two bottles of scotch. He had been sober for close to two years.

Luke Armfield, 49, of Collaroy Plateau, outside Manly Local Court on Wednesday after being sentenced for assaulting a police officer and hindering an ambulance paramedic. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

She had called emergency services to her Collaroy Plateau home about 5.38pm on August 22 when she found her son slumped on his bed and a nearby stovetop turned on.

Police, who arrived at 5.57pm, were met by paramedics who started to squeeze the father-of-two’s shoulders and talk to him, in an effort to wake him up.

According to a police facts sheet tendered in court, Armfield woke up 30 seconds later and was immediately aggressive.

He threw his right arm towards a paramedic, prompting a police officer to grab Armfield’s wrist and say “keep your hands to yourself mate”.

Armfield told him to “f*** off”, before officers asked him to calm down and that he was not in any trouble.

He yelled a tirade of abuse before police twice had to push him away and back onto the bed. After he got off the bed for the third time, police tried to handcuff him.

“It is at this time that the accused has used both hands, with a closed fist, to punch (the constable) once across the left eye and once to the right side of his chin,” the facts sheet stated.

The officer was then punched twice in the chest.

Luke Armfield, 49, of Collaroy Plateau, is driven away from Manly Local Court on Tuesday, August 23, 2022, after being granted bail. Picture: Manly Daily

Another constable used capsicum spray to Armfield’s face to regain control before paramedics injected him with a sedative drug. The paramedics also had to be treated after they were accidentally hit by the pepper spray.

Armfield was taken to Northern Beaches Hospital under police guard.

He pleaded guilty to assault police officer in execution of duty cause actual bodily harm; two counts of intimidate police officer in execution of duty; resist officer in execution of duty and: obstruct or hinder ambulance officer by act of violence.

His solicitor Ian Byrne said Armfield had been attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, but an incident involving a family member had led him back to the bottle.

Mr Byrne said that when his client sobered up, he had no memory of the offences.

“When he was woken, he was swinging blindly,” Mr Byrne said.

Magistrate Robyn Denes convicted Armfield on all charges.

She told him that while she recognised he had a problem with alcohol, police and ambulance officers should be able to go to work and not have to face being assaulted.

Armfield was placed on a Community Corrections Order to be off good behaviour for 18 months.