Abdi Mohammed Muse Picture Ref: 77190-9A MAN who assaulted a police woman blames it on psychiatric problems he suffered after being attacked himself.

Abdi Mohammed Muse, 38, pictured, spent two weeks in intensive care after he was beaten unconscious in a racist attack in Swindon in September 2002.

Since then he says he has turned to alcohol to cope with the trauma, which has repeatedly landed him in trouble with the law.

Muse, of Victoria Road, pleaded guilty at Swindon Magistrates' Court yesterday to assaulting a police officer and being drunk and disorderly the second time this month he has been in court for drunken behaviour.

The court heard he was arrested at around 11am on Tuesday after police were called to Manchester Road. He swore at police and threatened them before kicking a female officer in the mouth, cutting her lip.

Nicola Jennings, defending, said Muse had suffered psychiatric problems since the attack and drank to block out the pain.

"He has had on-going head-related problems and psychiatric difficulties since the incident," she said.

"He has no recollection because of the amount of alcohol he had consumed.

"He feels extremely bad about what happened to the officer."

It is the second time this month Muse has appeared in court on a charge of being drunk and disorderly.

On April 6 he was fined £5 by magistrates after admitting bringing traffic to a standstill when he wandered into the middle of the road in Corporation Street.

On that occasion Lee Mott, defending, told the court that Muse had struggled with a drink problem since he was attacked.

Magistrates adjourned yesterday's case to allow social services to carry out a pre-sentence review.

He will be due back in court for sentencing on May 25.

After the hearing, Muse, a former Honda worker who is on income support, said he needed help to overcome his addiction rather than punishment.

"I don't want prison, I want help," he said.

"I just feel sickness. I drink because I get voices in my head and I get scared.

"I have lost everything because of what happened. I have a wife and daughter in Somalia and I can't afford to help them.

"I feel sadness when I get into trouble but I don't know about it until people tell me.

"Those people ruined my life. Before they attacked me I had a job. I was all right. I started drinking after that. I feel frightened at night that it will happen again.

"I started drinking to get away from it."

Gareth Bethell