Police use stun gun on boxer in hotel

Robert Gervis repeatedly asked officers “Do you know who I am?” and threatened someone ‘could get hurt’.

The boxer, who warned that he had worked in a prison and knew about police “tornado tactics”, eventually had to have a stun gun used on him.

Gervis, 52, of Chapel Street, Dukinfield, Manchester, pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour.

Pam Smith, prosecuting, said police were called to the Premier Inn on the Whitehills Industrial Estate, where guests had complained about noise coming from Gervis’s room on November 29 at 1.45am.

Police found a woman cowering in the bedroom.

Gervis repeatedly asked officers “Do you know who I am?” before saying he was a boxer, clenching his fists and bouncing around on his feet.

Police reinforcements were called for and when an officer unclipped his stun gun Gervis told him “If you do that you’ll all get hurt.”

He ripped off his T-shirt and later lunged towards the bathroom. As officers managed to grab him he started hitting out and tried to get hold of an officer by the throat.

Officers were losing control of him because of his strength, so a stun gun was used on him.

Gervis said he had been in the gym coaching children that day and had not eaten.

He and his girlfriend had come to the resort to watch a charity boxing match for Soldiers in Need. They should have had a meal at the match but missed it because they were late.

He added that he did not usually drink, but that night he drank about four lagers.

At the time he was taking extremely strong painkillers because of damage to his spine he had suffered.

Gervis said: “My behaviour was out of character and I would like to apologise.”

He was bailed for pre-sentence reports by Blackpool magistrates.

Presiding magistrate, Barry Birch, told him: “You showed a level of violence towards the police officers which was totally unacceptable.”