A teenager from Rugby has been sentenced to almost a year in a Young Offender Institution for several offences, including assaulting a police officer.
Idris Juanja of Murray Road appeared before magistrates on Wednesday, 17th March.
He pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon, committing an offence under Section 4a of the Public Order Act, and assault by beating of an emergency worker.
The court heard how officers were called to Juanja’s home address on 9th March 2021 following reports of a domestic incident.
Having investigated the allegations, officers arrested Juanja, but he immediately became violent, headbutting one officer as he tried to make off.
After being detained and then conveyed back to a police station, Juanja made what police have called ‘derogatory’ and ‘homophobic’ comments towards a second officer.
Juanja was released from custody on police bail.
A week later, officers stopped Juanja whilst he was travelling in a vehicle. After being searched, officers found that he had an extendable metal baton on him.
He was arrested, later charged and remanded to Coventry Magistrates’ Court, where he admitted all three offences and was sentenced to the following:
• 18 weeks in a Young Offender Institution for assault by beating of an emergency worker. He was also made to pay compensation of £200.
• Six weeks in a Young Offender Institution for using threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress
• 23 weeks in a Young Offender Institution for possessing an offensive weapon in a public place
Juanja will serve all three sentences consecutively.
Chief Superintendent Ben Smith said:
“As police officers, we accept we will be asked to put ourselves in harm’s way to protect others, but this does not mean we expect to be assaulted.
“Like everyone else, emergency service workers have a right to work in a safe environment and to return home safe and uninjured at the end of a shift.
“Assaults of any nature – be they verbal or physical – against emergency service workers are abhorrent, will not be tolerated, and we will look to use the full force of the law to bring those responsible to justice.”
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18 weeks for assaulting a copper and 23 weeks for carrying a weapon. It would be much more appropriate to reverse those sentences. At least they are consecutive, so this violent young thug will be out of circulation for a bit. If we then had an automatic doubling of the last sentence, periods of incarceration would swiftly increase and such dangers to society would face longer and longer periods behind bars, making society much safer.
What we actually need is minimum sentence legislation which will prevent judges releasing recidivists back into society time after time after time.