A FEMALE police officer was indecently assaulted while trying to deal with a homeless man who was exposing himself while high on solvents.

Michael Fortune, 24, was yesterday jailed for three years for the attack, which left the young officer badly traumatised. Durham Crown Court heard that Fortune, who was homeless and living in a disused factory, was in a deranged state at the time of the attack.

The incident happened when the constable and a female colleague were answering a complaint from a nearby resident of a man exposing himself, at the derelict former Frejon premises in Crookhall Road, Consett, County Durham, in October last year.

Christopher Dorman O'Gowan, prosecuting, said when they approached, Fortune was performing an indecent act and made a suggestive remark to the officer after she told him to "put it away".

As she attempted to report the incident over her police radio, Fortune lunged at her, pinned her to the ground, and carried out the indecent assault.

Her colleague attempted to free her, striking Fortune with her extendible baton, but it was only when she sprayed him with her CS gas cylinder that he let the other officer go, falling to the ground holding his face.

The officers managed to handcuff him and report the attack. Colleagues soon arrived on scene to complete the arrest.

Mr Dorman O'Gowan said that Fortune's former home was searched and troubling material written by him was found.

He described Fortune's replies in his police interview as bizarre.

Stephen Rich, mitigating, said that at the time he was living rough at the derelict factory, was dishevelled, sniffing glue and other substances and even drinking petrol.

"When the officers went there he was plainly in a deranged state and accepts he assaulted this police officer."

The court heard that since the incident Fortune had spent several months at a secure psychiatric unit, which had helped to stabilise him.

Reports by two psychiatrists said he was fit to plead.

Fortune, formerly of Wagtail Terrace, Craghead, near Stanley, admitted indecent assault.

Jailing him, Judge Guy Whitburn, described it as an extremely serious assault.

He said on release Fortune should be on licence for an extended three-year period and he must sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.