Man Jailed for 10 Months After Assaulting Four Police Officers
Christopher Howard, 40, was slammed with a 10-month jail sentence after attacking four police officers in Swindon. The Swindon man also pleaded guilty to criminal damage and theft charges at Swindon Magistrates Court on Saturday (26/09).
Spat at Officers and Caused Chaos
The violent spree began in the early hours of Friday (25/09) when officers were called to Burford Avenue following reports of a man fiddling with parked cars. Police, including a dog handler, found Howard hiding under a flatbed lorry on Upham Road.
As officers moved to arrest him, Howard lashed out, spitting multiple times. He was caught with several pairs of stolen designer sunglasses on him.
Raging in Custody
- Spat inside police van, damaging the cage
- Grabbed an officer’s arm in handcuffs, leaving bruises
- Abused officers throughout custody
- Urinated in his cell, causing more damage
He also caused £110 worth of damage and was ordered to pay compensation.
Police Praise Public and Stress Zero Tolerance
“Howard’s aggressive and abusive behaviour towards police officers was completely unacceptable – nobody needs reminding that we are still living through a global health pandemic. Police officers on the frontline are working tirelessly despite these testing times to keep us all safe – they no doubt have their own anxieties and concerns about coming to work during these times and people like Howard are adding to these anxieties completely unnecessarily,” said Supt Phil Staynings.
“Any kind of assault on an officer will simply not be tolerated – it isn’t part of the job and should never be seen as such, therefore I am pleased a custodial sentence has been imposed. We’d like to thank the vigilant member of the public who initially reported the suspicious activity seen in Burford Avenue, which enabled officers to swiftly attend and locate Howard who was found in possession of a number of stolen items which will now be returned to their rightful owners.”
