Watch as East Lothian thug who attacked police with hammer before trying to hijack their car is wrestled to the ground

A thug who attempted to strike a police officer with a hammer during a horror daylight attack has been jailed.

Kevin Inverarity chased after PC Greig Porteous with the makeshift weapon after police had been called out to deal with the disturbing incident in Tranent, East Lothian.

PC Porteous managed to pull the hammer-wielding attacker from the police vehicle before wrestling him to the ground at around 3pm on Wednesday.

Mobile phone footage

Mobile phone footage of the attack was posted on Twitter and shows Inverarity in a stand off with two police officers as cars drive by at the town’s High Street.

Inverarity, 36, is then seen to chase the cops around a Citroen Picasso that had been forced to stop in the middle of the road before attempting to jump into their vehicle and make off.

The two brave PCs manage to drag him from their vehicle and are seen to defend themselves with a baton before taking the thug to the ground and disarming him.

The incident happened in Tranent, East Lothian. Picture: Twitter

Inverarity was then taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he continued his violent tirade and threatened to urinate himself while being treated by medics.

He also shouted threats of violence and made homophobic remarks towards the police officers.

Bail refused

Inverarity appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court from custody on Thursday where he admitted five offences and had not guilty pleas to a further five charges accepted by the Crown.

Sheriff Donald Corke heard the narration of events and decided to defer sentence to next month for the preparation of reports.

Inverarity was remanded in custody after having his application for bail refused.

Inverarity admitted to behaving in a threatening or abuisve manner by striking a window with a hammer, shouting, swearing, acting in an aggressive manner and brandishing a hammer at lieges and police officers at Bridge Street and High Street, both Tranent, on February 19 this year.

He also admitted to assaulting PC Greig Porteous by brandishing the hammer at him, chase after him and attempt to strike him on the body with the hammer.

Inverarity also pleaded guilty to possessing a hammer in a public place and to being in charge of a vehicle while unfit to do so through drink or drugs.

He also admitted to behaving in a threatening or abuisve manner by shouting, swearing, uttering threats to urinate, utter threats of violence and utter to homophobic remarks to police officers at the ERI and St Leonard’s police station in Edinburgh.

He had not guilty pleas accepted to attempting to assault a man with the hammer, attention to steal a police vehicle, drive the vehicle with no licence or insurance and to struggling with police officers.