Man stood outside football ground in his underwear and kicked police officers | Preston Crown Court

A man standing outside a football stadium on matchday in just his underwear has appeared in court for assaulting two police officers who went to question him.

Simran Khan, who had his hand down the front of his boxer shorts, kicked both officers on the legs as they tried to restrain him, a judge in Preston was told.

The city’s Crown Court heard that in a separate incident the 29-year-old had also been involved in a high-speed car chase through residential streets in an attempt to escape from a police patrol.

But he was spared an immediate jail sentence after Recorder Sophie Cartwright heard he suffered from “complex mental health issues” and had recently been detained under the Mental Health Act for three months after the late night car pursuit.

She was told bearded Khan had suffered from “gender identity problems” which had resulted in him previously serving time in a women’s prison.

The judge sentenced him to a total of 36 weeks in jail suspended for two years and urged him to work with doctors to address what was described as an emotionally unstable personality disorder.

Khan, of Fowler Height Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting an emergency worker, one of dangerous driving and driving without insurance. He also admitted two counts of failing to surrender to bail.

Recorder Cartwright was told that police on duty before a Championship match at Blackburn Rovers’ Ewood Park ground spotted Khan standing on a street corner dressed in just his vest and boxers topped off with a baseball cap. When they approached him they noticed his possessions were in a neat pile on the floor behind him.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said that when the police saw he had his hand down his pants they were concerned he might be about to expose himself to football fans on their way to the match.

Body-worn camera footage played in court showed Khan was at first quiet and subdued, but then suddenly lost his temper and screamed at the officers “Why?”

He was told he was going to be placed in handcuffs and in the struggle that ensued he kicked one female officer on the shin and a male colleague on the thigh. Neither suffered any lasting injury.

He was arrested for police assault and, when interviewed later, he gave “no comment” answers to all questions.

In the other incident Mr Parker said a police dog handler had been parked in his vehicle in Bolton Road, Darwen at 5:15am, again near to the football stadium, when a car drove past him at what he considered to be excessive speed.

He set off after the vehicle through residential streets around Ewood Park, reaching speeds of around 70mph in a 30mph zone. During the pursuit the car went through at least two red lights and did a U-turn on a traffic island.

Eventually it turned onto a housing estate and into a cul-de-sac. Instead of getting out and running from the scene Khan stayed in the driver’s seat. When he refused to co-operate the officer, with his dog on a lead in one hand, pulled him from the car and forced him to the ground. He was arrested and again gave “no comment” answers in interview.

Mr Parker said Khan’s police record contained a previous assault on an emergency worker from 2020.

Barrister Katie Lord, defending, said that her client accepted that his dangerous driving crossed the custody threshold, but urged the judge to suspend any prison sentence so Khan could get help to address his behaviour.

His mental health needs were currently being assessed and a prison sentence would disrupt the work that was being done.

She said Khan could not remember the incidents in which he had been arrested, but he knew the offences were unacceptable.

Recorder Cartwright told him: “You were out driving in the early hours in a vehicle for which you had no insurance. A police officer followed you through residential areas at high speed, driving through red lights.

“Throughout you were aware police were in pursuit and failed to stop until you came to a stop in a cul-de-sac.

“Having been arrested you were bailed and you failed to attend court. When you did you were bailed again and (then) carried out assaults on two police officers.”

She said the assaults on police had occurred after officers spoke to him outside Blackburn Rovers’ ground. They had been concerned, she said, that he was dressed in boxer shorts and when they approached him he had behaved impulsively and kicked two officers. “They were simply doing their job,” she told him.

The judge said she had regard to Khan’s mental health issues and by giving him a suspended sentence she hoped he could get the support he needed to address those issues and stop offending.

On the dangerous driving charge she said he had made a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road and had committed dangerous manoeuvres at “significantly excessive speed”.

In addition to the suspended sentence she ordered Khan to complete 15 rehabilitation activity days, followed by a mental health treatment order.