A 24-YEAR-OLD man has avoided jail after assaulting a 55-year-old woman and threatening to rape the family of a police officer.

Dartford Magistrates’ Court gave Christopher Walker a four-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, after finding him guilty of assaulting Jacqueline Smith on June 12.

The magistrates heard on December 16 that Walker, of The Hive, Northfleet, had shoved another man into Mrs Smith in Dartford town centre, causing her to fall and hit her head on a kerb.

Walker was also ordered to do 24 hours’ community service and to pay Mrs Smith, who was not seriously injured by the assault, £150 in compensation.

At the same hearing the magistrates fined Walker £250 after he had pleaded guilty to using threatening words and abusive behaviour towards a female police officer in Dartford town centre on November 7.

The court heard Smith had said “I’m going to rape your family” to the officer.

Walker, who has a three-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter, as well as a child on the way, was told to “make a fresh start” by chairman of the bench Francis Hart.