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A drunk police officer was caught on camera dragging a woman to the ground by her hair whilst grinning during a birthday celebration at a nightclub.
Former PC Thomas Odell, of Kent Police, violently grabbed a fistful of his victim's hair at Canterbury's Cuban nightclub before twice wrenching her head backwards in an unprovoked assault, forcing her towards the floor.
The 30-year-old, of Lower Stoke, near Rochester, was then seen 'smiling and almost chuckling' as the woman fled in shock.
Margate Magistrates' Court heard the victim has since been left too frightened to go into the city without her boyfriend.
The attack happened in a garden decking area of the high street venue on February 21, just days after Odell had turned 30.
'The victim was out socialising with her friends in the Cuban and it was their last stop,' prosecutor Lucie Fish told the court.
'It was about midnight, and the group started chatting to some males, and they learned they were police officers, and PC Odell even got out his police badge.'
As the two groups continued to speak, Odell suddenly grabbed a handful of the woman's hair and pulled her head backwards towards the ground.
Disturbing footage played in court showed how Odell held her down for about six seconds while smiling and continuing a conversation with others as if nothing was happening, before loosening his grip.
As she struggled to stand upright, he then grabbed her and held her down a second time, with footage showing her arms flailing as she tried to stop herself from falling.
Odell then released her hair again and raised his hand while seemingly laughing as if to apologise.
The victim was seen immediately running back into the nightclub in tears, where she asked security how she could leave.
'She went into complete shock, especially because he was a police officer,' Ms Fish said.
Police colleagues who were with Odell described him as drunk, although they said he 'appeared to be himself'.
One officer, PC Jamie Hill, told investigators he was stunned by what he witnessed.
'It was a shock to me. It was unprovoked and random to grab the female by the hair and pull her down,' he said.
'I thought, "What the f*** are you doing?".
'He was smiling - it was almost a chuckle, as if to minimise what he had done.'
The court heard the victim suffered no visible injuries or hair loss but experienced lasting pain.
'Her head still hurt the next day, and the right side was sore,' Ms Fish said.
'She didn't think [the males] were that drunk, but he did it with such force she left the venue as she was distressed.'
Odell was arrested and charged with assault by beating.
Although he initially denied the offence when he first appeared before magistrates in May, he changed his plea the following month ahead of a planned trial.
Sentencing was adjourned for a probation report before Odell returned to court on Friday.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman described the lasting effect the attack has had on her.
She said it had also left her boyfriend angry, and that it took a long time for him to calm down after learning what had happened.
'I've been out in Canterbury many times, but this now prevents me from going out without my boyfriend or someone I really trust,' she said.
'I was anxious before this, and this hasn't helped.
'I am unable to trust the police because he abused his position of power.'
Defending, Simon Pettican said Odell had drunk far more than usual while celebrating his birthday and had no memory of the assault.
'He probably had more than he should have drunk. It was out of character for him, and he lost his job,' he said.
'He's now on Universal Credit and is trying to learn to be a bus driver, and should be [qualified] by September/October time.
'He's extremely remorseful, and of the shame he's brought on himself. He was out recently and saw his colleagues, and he just wanted a hole to open up.
'He had a very good career ahead of him, and he's just flushed that down the drain.'
Sentencing him, District Judge William Nelson said there was no excuse for attacking a 'very vulnerable victim'.
'It was entirely unprovoked - a deliberate assault,' he said. 'She should be able to go out without fear of being assaulted, there was repeat offending in that footage and it's a momentary loss of control you can't explain.
'You were a serving police officer, and those around you knew that, and the victim knew that.
'There was no lasting injury, but there was a risk of serious injury. You pulled back her hair, and she was arching; there was a risk, and there has been a psychological impact.
'She was very young, and she is now scared to go out without the protection of her boyfriend.
'Your conduct caused psychological harm, and you were a police officer, so it's a significant breach of trust, and you caused an erosion of public trust.'
The judge accepted Odell had shown 'obvious remorse' and recognised the impact of his offending, while also acknowledging he had suffered the significant consequence of losing his career.
He placed Odell on a 12-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work.
Odell was also ordered to pay the victim £200 compensation. As he is currently claiming benefits, he will pay the money at a rate of £20 a month.
During sentencing, the prosecution said the assault had a 'broader impact on the confidence people have in the police', particularly in relation to 'institutionalised misogyny'.
Odell has since been sacked by Kent Police.
Detective Superintendent Joanna Lay, from the force's Professional Standards Department, said: 'As a serving police officer at the time of the offence, he was expected to uphold the highest standards of professional behaviour, both on and off duty.
'As soon as the matter was reported, officers acted swiftly to identify and arrest Odell.
'He was immediately suspended from duty, subsequently charged, and later dismissed from Kent Police following an accelerated misconduct hearing.'
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