A DRUNKEN reveller headbutted a police officer and spat at him after an altercation with doorstaff at a nightclub billed as “bringing the VIP experience to Swindon.”

David Shaun Flynn turned on officers who intervened shortly after he argued with a bouncer about being allowed out of an emergency exit at newly-launched Tiger Bills in Old Town.

Ugly scenes followed after a doorman grabbed him as he tried to push a crash bar down on the door to leave.

Flynn’s girlfriend, Lisa, was sent tumbling to the floor during the row.

Flynn, 31, then vented his frustration on two police officers, launching himself at one of them while handcuffed in the back of a van outside the club in Hooper’s Place.

The violent scenes on September 30 took place a few weeks before Tiger Bills was shut down by its management, who have promised to re-open in the run up to Christmas.

At Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday Flynn, of Deerhurst Way, Toothill, admitted being drunk and disorderly and assaulting a police officer.

Rachael Marshall, prosecuting, said that officers had been outside Tiger Bills when they saw two men being thrown out of the club.

She told the court: “The two males were acting aggressively, shouting at the bouncers, so the officers got out of their vehicles to try and calm the males down and remove them from the area.

“The males were shouting and being verbally abusive towards the doorstaff and the police.

“One of the males was the defendant, Mr Flynn.”

Flynn tensed his arms and resisted when an officer tried to handcuff him after arresting him for being drunk and disorderly.

“He was eventually placed in the back of the police van, where he spat at PC Sebastian Genillard and headbutted him in the face, Miss Marshall told the court.

Flynn later told police that he become aware that a friend had been thrown out and he wanted to leave through the same closed doors to make sure he was all right.

Miss Marshall said: “He went on to say he was told not to go through the closed doors.

“He attempted to push the crash bars to open them and was then grabbed by the doorman and taken through the doors and taken outside.

“Lisa, his girlfriend, was by an inside wall of the club, on the floor.

“He thought she had been assaulted and lost his temper.”

Flynn expressed his remorse in the aftermath of the incident but said he was worried about Lisa.

Tony Bignall, defending, said: “He still feels a sense of grievance.

“His girlfriend came to some harm. She ended up being pushed on to the floor and he feels protective.”

But Mr Bignall told the court his client had apologised for his actions, which were out of character.

Flynn was given a two-year conditional discharge, ordered to pay compensation to PC Genillard of £150 and pay court costs of £80.