A man who assaulted a police officer causing actual bodily harm has been jailed for four months by Deemster Doyle.

William Daniel Henry Sayle of Peveril Street, Douglas admitted the offence.

Police were called to a house in Kirk Michael during the evening of October 4 last year following a 999 call. The defendant was in the kitchen with a knife and when police tried to disarm him there was a struggle in which one of the officers sustaining swelling and scratches.

The defendant was found not guilty at a trial last month of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on another officer.

The deemster directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict of false detention of Sayle's wife Karen.

Sayle's advocate said he was not a violent man but he suffered problems. However, in no way did he wish to minimise what had happened that night. He was extremely remorseful and had spent the equivalent of two months on remand.

Deemster Doyle said assaults on police officers were serious and extremely serious when a knife was involved.

He added that police would have the full protection of the courts and the incident had been traumatic for all involved.

(Picture: A cell block at Jurby prison, where Sayle will serve his sentence).