Outrage is boiling over after a 21-year-old man who savagely assaulted two female police officers in Bournemouth avoided immediate jail time.
Tariku Hadgu, an Ethiopian asylum seeker who illegally entered the UK three years ago, violently attacked the officers outside a busy town centre bar on April 18.
Shockingly, District Judge Michael Snow at Poole Magistrates’ Court decided to suspend Hadgu’s 16-week prison sentence, blaming his “not fully formed brain.”
Brutal Assault on Female Police Officers
The violent attack erupted when officers approached Hadgu after reports of a man wielding a knife matching his description.
- Hadgu repeatedly punched both female officers in the face.
- He pinned one officer to the ground and landed punches to her abdomen.
- A brave member of the public stepped in to pull him off the victim.
One officer suffered serious bruising to her face and cheekbones. Both women feared Hadgu could have pulled a weapon at any time.
At the time, Hadgu was intoxicated and found in possession of cannabis.
Judge’s Lenient Sentence Sparks Fury
Despite warning Hadgu that the assault was “more serious than your standard assault” due to its nature against uniformed officers, the judge shocked the public by:
- Suspending the 16-week prison term for one year.
- Imposing a 12-week curfew.
- Banning Hadgu from all bars and clubs across Dorset for a year.
- Ordering him to pay £250 compensation to each officer, deducted from his taxpayer-funded support.
“The Home Office needs to know about this because it is extremely relevant as to whether he should be allowed to stay in the country,” District Judge Snow warned.
The leniency flies in the face of repeated government promises to crack down hard on attacks against emergency workers.
Public Outcry and Calls for Tougher Sentences
Critics slammed the ruling, saying it undermines the message that assaults on frontline workers—especially female police officers—will not be tolerated.
Many questioned the judge’s “brain development” defence, arguing that by 21 years old, most people fully understand the consequences of their actions.
There are growing demands for an urgent review of sentencing guidelines on assaults against emergency personnel to prevent dangerous offenders skipping jail.
The public won’t forget this shocking miscarriage of justice anytime soon.
