A man who punched a policeman twice while drunkenly trying to walk through a crime scene with cocaine and cannabis has been handed a one-month curfew.

Ciaran Odongo, of Orsett Terrace, Woodford Green, admitted assaulting a police officer, possessing both Class A and Class B drugs and being drunk and disorderly in a public place at Barkingside Magistrates Court yesterday.

The 26-year-old was ordered to pay the officer £200 compensation and handed a one month, electronically-monitored curfew requiring him to be home between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

Odongo had been out celebrating Christmas Eve at Faces nightclub in Cranbrook Road, Gants Hill, when two men were stabbed outside the venue in an unrelated incident.

The court heard that a police officer attempted to stop Odongo at around 2.45am as he tried to make his way home through the police cordon.

At which point the reveller shouted “bollocks” and threw a punch with his left hand, catching the Pc on the neck.

Officers restrained him on the bonnet of a nearby car and let him go when he appeared to have calmed down.

Odongo then got up and punched the same officer in the chest, at which he point he was arrested.

After being searched it was discovered he had small amounts of both weed and cocaine in his pockets.

But he did not test positive for either drug and, although he admitted the marajuana was his, claimed to have taken the cocaine from his ex-girlfriend to prevent her snorting it.

Defending solicitor Arlegh Davies revealed that Odongo only had vague memories of the events and was “mortified” upon being informed of his actions when he woke up in a police cell on Christmas Day.

The defendant cares for his mother, who suffers from mental health issues, and blamed his level of inebriation on the fact he was not a regular drinker.

Before passing sentence, Mr Forster, the presiding magistrate, said: “I know this was out of character, but you can’t go round putting fists in the faces of officers.

“We accept you were remorseful to the officer and have apologised, but you must pay compensation.”