Brighton man has been sentenced to prison after assaulting a member of the public and a police officer during a demonstration in the city.
Ian Ward, 53, of Old Mill Close, Portslade, was part of a large crowd gathered on Queens Road on Wednesday, August 7th. The crowd was separated from a smaller group by a line of police officers when Ward forced his way through the line, striking a member of the smaller group and assaulting a female police officer in the process.
Following the incident, video footage was reviewed, leading to Ward being identified as the suspect. He was arrested on Sunday, August 11th, and subsequently charged with affray, assault, and assaulting a police officer.
Ward pleaded guilty to all charges at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Monday, August 12th. The following day, at Lewes Crown Court, he was sentenced to eight months in prison, with an additional eight months to be spent on licence.
Chief Superintendent James Collis said: “This is a significant custodial sentence that should send a clear message that any acts of violence are not being tolerated, against members of the public or our officers.
“We are committed to facilitating peaceful protests impartially and, where individuals step over the line into unlawful behaviour, we will take action.
“Investigations are ongoing into a number of other reports over the last week as we look to ensure those seeking to sow division in our communities are held to account
