‘Disgusting’ sentencing needs to change

A SENTENCE of three years in jail for a criminal who twice shot at an Essex Police officer is “disgusting”.

That’s the view of Essex Police Federation Chairman Steve Taylor, said there should be “just punishment” for people who are convicted of assaulting officers.

He was speaking as it emerged that just one in seven people convicted of assaulting police officers is sent to jail.

Steve said: “It’s a shockingly low number. We’ve got to protect the protectors. We’ve got to look to the criminal justice system to positively support colleagues who find themselves as victims.

“We’ve had a really poor incident in Essex in the past 18 months. We had a colleague who was shot at with a shotgun twice, and when the perpetrator was arrested and sent to court charged with attempted murder, they plea bargained their way down to a lesser offence.

“They received a custodial sentence of three years, but that plea bargaining in no way, shape or form took into account, or indeed sought the opinion or views of the victim: the police officer.

“It was all done behind the scenes, the criminal justice system secured a conviction so somebody there is happy, but the victim in this – our member, our colleague – wasn’t consulted, wasn’t involved in that decision, and has been left bitterly disappointed with the whole process, and understandably so.

“Three years in prison for shooting a police officer is disgusting. Now that’s one case, that officer involved has spoken to me about it so they know that I’m referencing that case when I’m having these conversations, and for that to become the norm is wrong.”

Steve said there should be a sliding scale of punishments for assaults on officers, with the most serious offences punishable by imprisonment.

He added: “Just the other day we had a case in the south of the county. Officers were spat at and punched and kicked, and at court the juveniles involved promised not to do it again. They said they had just started a training course and would like the court to consider that, and didn’t receive a custodial sentence.

“Now it’s not always the answer, we’re not suggesting that every person that assaults a police officer should go to prison, we understand that there’s going to be a sliding scale and the occasional thrown arm in a scuffle connecting with an officer is more understandable than a perpetrator actively going out and targeting and attacking an officer.

“So as an offence there’s a broad scale in there and no one would be the first to say that they should all go to prison, but it would be nice for the establishment to demonstrate its support for the protectors, the police, by more just punishment being handed out to those found guilty of assaulting the police.”