A MAN who had accused a Gwent police officer of assaulting him after a query over an expired tax disc was yesterday convicted by magistrates of four charges.

Robert Clive Whatley, 64, of Four Ash Street, Usk, was found guilty of using a motor vehicle without insurance and no MoT, using insulting words and behaviour and failing to give his name and address to a constable when asked.

Whatley had pleaded not guilty to each of the offences but after appearing in the morning, he failed to attend Abergavenny magistrates court yesterday afternoon and the case was heard in his absence.

The court heard how PC Jonathan Ellis was on foot patrol in Four Ash Street on August 15 last year when he noticed a Peugeot 106 with an expired tax disc.

Michael Hammett, prosecuting, said that when it was pointed out that the tax disc had expired the defendant said that it had been stolen and he had reported it.

When asked to produce an MoT and insurance documents, Whatley refused and when asked for personal details he also refused and he used abusive language and gestures. The prosecutor said that Whatley had accused PC Ellis of assault. Mr Hammett said: "A complaint had been received, but the complaint has now been resolved."

Earlier in the day, Mr Hammett had told magistrates that PC Ellis had been cleared during an internal inquiry of allegations of assault. PC Ellis said: "Mr Whatley said 'Go and do something worthwhile'." PC Ellis said that Whatley was negative and verbally abusive and made rude gestures to him.

He said that he did not feel he could have arrested Whatley, so on advice he reported him for the offences.

PC Ellis, who has been in the job for more than nine years, said: "I left the area and went back to Usk police station and the inspector informed me that a complaint had been made."

PC Ellis told the court he did not in any way assault Whatley. Patricia Morgan, an emergency medical technician with the Welsh Ambulance Service, was called to the house after receiving a 999 call.

She said that Whatley told her he had not called for an ambulance and she said he refused any treatment in the ambulance or to accompany them to Abergavenny's Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny Janet McAllister, chairwoman of the magistrates, said that Whatley had been warned that if he failed to return the trial may be heard in his absence.

She said that they found him guilty of all offences. Sentence was adjourned.