Male Who Was On A Suspended Sentence Is Jailed After Spitting On Police Officer & Ambulance Crew

A man has been jailed for 19 months after he attacked police officers and emergency ambulance staff in Chatham. 

Aaron Trotter committed the assaults after Kent Police was called to a disturbance at a residential home.

While in custody, Trotter also racially abused a policeman on numerous occasions.

The 33-year-old, from Gillingham, admitted four counts of assaulting an emergency services worker, one count of racially aggravated harassment and breaching a restraining order.

He was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday 29 October 2020 to 15 months for the offences. 

As Trotter was on a suspended sentence at the time, he was told that he must also serve an additional 18 weeks (to run consecutively with his 15-month sentence).

Trotter was arrested during the early hours of 3 September after Kent Police was notified he had breached a restraining order against a woman who is known to him.

Following a search, Trotter was located in Chestnut Avenue walking two American bulldogs. 

He initially refused to engage with the officers who found him and, on several occasions, threatened to set his dogs on them.

After some negotiation, Trotter complied with the officers. 

An ambulance was called to the scene due to concerns that Trotter was under the influence of drugs.

Upon the arrival of the emergency ambulance crew, Trotter spat at two police officers and a member of the ambulance crew who was attempting to treat him. 

After being taken to hospital, Trotter then spat at a third officer and repeatedly used racist slurs against a constable who was supervising him.

Police Constable Jennifer Talan, Kent Police’s investigating officer for the case, said: 

‘Trotter’s behaviour on the night of his arrest fell well short of what is acceptable.

‘An innocent woman was subjected to significant distress because he breached a restraining officer, and he then went on to commit several degrading assaults against emergency services personnel.

‘The attending officers treated him with courtesy and respect throughout and in response, he spat at three of them and used horrendous racist slurs. 

‘He also subjected an ambulance service employee to a degrading assault.

‘All officers accept that their job can expose them to danger, but that does not make it acceptable for them to be assaulted while they are trying to keep the public safe. 

‘I am pleased the courts have enforced a custodial sentence which clearly demonstrates behaviour like this will not tolerated.’

Will Bellamy, South East Coast Ambulance Service’s Medway and North Kent Operation Unit Manager, said: 

‘Our frontline clinicians are here to help people not to be assaulted or abused.

‘We hope this offers a warning to others that such abuse of the emergency services won’t and shouldn’t be tolerated, particularly when there is clear aggressive intent. 

‘Such cases leave their mark on our staff not only physically but emotionally. We have a duty to do everything we can to protect them and ensure when cases like this happen, we support criminal proceedings.’

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