A violent thug who punched a police officer around 40 times in the head while he tried to arrest him has been jailed.
PC Peart and PC Duncan were on patrol in Darlington on Sunday, 12th July when they initiated a traffic stop on Willow Road. The vehicle, being driven by Karl Wilson, was shown as having no insurance.
After some additional checks, it transpired that Wilson did not have a valid driving licence.
As the officers tried to place Wilson under arrest, he lashed out at them, punching PC Peart repeatedly in the back of the head while wearing a large gold sovereign ring.
The 41-year-old also punched PC Duncan twice in the head.
A brave member of the public who was walking her dog and who saw what was happening tried to intervene by grabbing Wilson’s arm in a bid to stop him from punching the officers.
As the frenzied attack on the officers continued, the good samaritan picked up one of the officer’s radio’s which had fallen from their uniform and asked the officers how to call for back-up.
After successfully raising the alarm, more officers rushed to the scene, and Wilson was detained.
When officers searched his vehicle, they found half a kilogram of heroin and around £2,500 in cash.
Wilson, of Major Street, Darlington, was charged with nine offences, including two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), two counts of possession of a Class A drug (heroin) with intent to supply, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.
He pleaded guilty to all offences and appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday 20th August where he was jailed for seven years.
He was also banned from driving for six-and-a-half years.
The officers were taken to hospital following the incident and returned to work the following day.
Chief Inspector Steve Ball, from Durham Constabulary, said:
“An attack on a police officer is unacceptable at any time, but it is especially appalling when they have worked tirelessly on the frontline to keep people safe during the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Our officers put their own lives on the line for the public every single day – they have every right to return home safely at the end of each shift, like everyone else. They should never have to tolerate assaults while simply doing their job.
“Thankfully, the two officers involved in this incident – who are both relatively new in service – did not suffer any long-lasting injuries and returned to work the next day after hospital treatment.
“We are proud of the commitment and dedication they have shown to their job following what was a traumatic and violent attack.
“We would also like to thank the brave member of the public who put her own personal safety aside to intervene and try to stop the attack.
“I hope this sentence shows how seriously we take this type of behaviour, and that it will not be tolerated.”
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