Apprentice carpenter Craig Taberer was convicted in July of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on police officer John Watson, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice because he burnt his clothes following the incident.

It was the second trial after the jury in the first trial couldn't reach verdicts.

The 41-year-old British Transport Police officer and Craig Taberer, of Kitelands Close, Biggleswade, along with Collette Welham, of Exeter Close, Biggleswade, and Bradley Saunders, of Hereford Grove in the town, had exchanged words in the carriage of a late night train as it approached the town's railway station.

Once off the train, the officer, who had drunk around eight pints while watching a televised England football match with colleagues in London, was still angry.

He strutted, gestured and finger-jabbed at the three youngsters.
At the top of the staircase Mr Watson wouldn't let them pass and he turned his attention on Collette thrusting his face into hers.

The officer squared up to the girl and Craig Taberer reacted. He grabbed a skateboard from another young boy who had stopped to watch the commotion and struck the officer over the head with it.

All three then delivered a flurry of kicks and punches, which they said in court was to keep him on the floor.

Collette Welham, who is now 18, and Bradley Saunders, 21, were both found guilty of assaulting the officer occasioning him actual bodily harm at the end of the second trial.

They have been allowed bail, but are expecting custodial sentences as well.

Mr Watson, a married man also from Biggleswade, had already said in court that he was not proud of his behaviour that night.

He admitted calling the girl a "wigger" that night after she began talking with an accent like a character out of the Ali G or Catherine Tate shows.

Craig Taberer's barrister, Steven Pidcock, asked the officer in court "Wigger means white nigger. Is it a word you would be challenged at work about if you used it?"

Mr Watson replied "Quite possibly sir."

The barrister in another exchange said "These people didn't know you were a police officer, did they?

"For all they knew you could have been a drunken tattooed thug behaving appallingly."

Mr Watson replied "It would appear so."

It also emerged during the two hearings that Mr Watson himself has been arrested in the past for a breach of the peace involving his neighbours.

There had also been a "domestic" incident at his home in 2003 when he had been forced to defend himself against his wife resulting in bruises to her face.

He also agreed when questioned by Mr Pidcock during the first trial that the police's Professional Standards Department were also investigating an incident in 2007 when it is alleged he again got into a fight with two youths on a train at Biggleswade station.

The officer had spent the evening in a London pub with colleagues watching England's televised world cup football 2-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago.

He said he drank pints of beer during the evening before making his way to Kings Cross, where he boarded the 10.20pm train for Biggleswade.

After the train pulled out of Hitchin railway station, Mr Watson said he became aware of Collette Welham, who he said sat next to him, and her friend Bradley Saunders, who sat nearby, and Mr Taberer.

Bradley and Collette had got on at Hitchin and Craig Taberer a few minutes earlier at Stevenage.

The youngsters, who had all been drinking, were loud and boisterous, chanting: "England, England, Come on England."

Mr Watson was to say the atmosphere in the carriage changed and people's heads went down and he decided to say something to the teenagers in an attempt to "put a lid on it".

As the train neared Biggleswade all four became involved in a heated exchange. He described it as a "frank exchange of views using industrial languag" and he told the court "I reduced myself to their level, unfortunately."

He said they in turn called him a tattooed w...r and he added the young girl began talking with an accent like a character out of the Ali G or Catherine Tate shows.

At the first trial Mr Watson was to claim in the witness box that at Biggleswade station he got off the train and made his way up the steps to a bridge.

He claimed the girl had followed him and was swearing at him and calling him names. Her two companions were close by.

The officer said when he reached the top of the stairs he decided to stand his ground and give her a lecture.

It was then he said that "out of the blue" he felt an immense pain to the top right hand side of his skull and he was hit over the head with the skateboard.

But during cross examination, CCTV footage of the incident was played to him, which contradicted his claims that the girl and her two companions had followed him up the steps.

The images showed the train pulling into the station and the commuters getting off and making for the steps.

But Craig and Bradley ushered Collette away from the steps and all three remained on the platform as the rest of the passengers filed up the steps.

Because of what happened on board the train the boys decided to hold back and keep out of Watson's way.

Unfortunately, for reasons best known to himself, Mr Watson waited until the very last second to leave the train.

The CCTV footage shows the train doors starting to close when all of a sudden he emerged from a compartment onto the platform.

By the time he reached the foot of the stairs the vast majority of the passengers were making their way up to the bridge.

He climbed a few steps before turning to begin a rant at the youngsters and beckoning towards them.

Craig Taberer was found guilty at Luton Crown Court of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on Mr Watson, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice because he burnt his clothes following the incident.

It was the second trial after the jury in the first trial couldn't reach verdicts.

Remanded in custody for the preparation of reports, Judge Richard Foster told Taberer that he can expect a long prison term when he comes before the court on Friday, August 1.