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A crazed thug throttled a policeman until he passed out and threw other officers around “like rag dolls” in a terrifying frenzy of violence.

Ian McGaw, 26, fought off SIX cops even after he was sprayed twice with CS gas.

And after the police finally managed to restrain him, he buckled his handcuffs so badly they could no longer be used.

McGaw went berserk as police tried to arrest him for throwing a firework into a playpark in Galston, Ayrshire.

Officers found him with a group of males in a nearby house and tried to handcuff him, but he picked up a sergeant and hurled him through a closed door.

As the sergeant got up, he saw his colleagues being thrown around.

Prosecutor Stephanie MacDonald told Kilmarnock Sheriff Court: “He saw five officers being treated, as he described it, like rag dolls.”

McGaw fell to his knees after being sprayed twice with CS gas. But he got up and lunged at PC Robert McMeeking.

He grabbed his victim by the throat, squeezing his windpipe between his thumbs.

MacDonald said: “PC McMeeking was held against a wall and lifted off his feet.”

Robert said he couldn’t breathe for up to 30 seconds and lost feeling in his limbs.

A colleague freed him after he blacked out but McGaw spat on him as he was being restrained.

McGaw’s co-accused, Dean Stevenson, 19, then kicked Robert in the head and knocked him out.

Stevenson had earlier punched a policewoman in the face.

The thugs were taken from the house to Kilmarnock police station, where officers found McGaw’s handcuffs

were “buckled and unserviceable”.

McGaw admitted assaulting Robert to the danger of his life, punching and kicking two officers, resisting arrest and recklessly throwing the firework.

Stevenson admitted assaulting Robert to the danger of his life and punching the policewoman. Both thugs were remanded in custody to await sentence next month.