A former youth worker has been jailed for 18 months for a brutal attack on a female police officer that left her earlobe hanging off.

Jonathan McFarlane, 26, stamped at least twice on PC Yasmin Borthwick's head during a routine police stop in Streatham in October 2008.

He had been driving without a licence.

Inner London Crown Court heard today how McFarlane fought with two female officers after they tried to arrest him when they suspected he had given them a false name.

He stamped on PC Borthwick after she had fallen to the ground in the struggle. He then ran off without his t-shirt or shoes which he had lost in the struggle.

McFarlane, of Elm Park in Streatham Hill, was caught by police exactly a year later on October 17, 2009.

Sentencing McFarlane, Judge David Bean said: "You committed this offence in a violent attempt to resist arrest."

He added: "Fortunately for you she did not suffer long lasting injuries. If you stamp on someone's head several times you would usually expect something much worse to happen."

McFarlane pleaded guilty to ABH at Inner London Crown Court on March 31.

Judge Bean described the attack as "within a whisker of being GBH".

McFarlane was ordered to serve at least half of his 18 month sentence in jail. He has already served 119 days in custody.