Thug jailed for officer attack

Former construction worker William Armer was today jailed for a Christmas Eve attack on a Telford police officer.Armer, 22, was jailed for 14 months, having previously been convicted of assaulting Constable David George, causing him actual bodily harm.

Constable George was off work for two months after the attack on December 24, 2006.

Judge Paul Glenn heard how Constable George, who was alone on duty, had been arresting a man for bouncing on his police car bonnet in Crown Street, Dawley, Telford, when Armer and two other men gathered around him.

Armer was verbally abusive, knocked the officer to the ground and continued to attack him.

Miss Laura Hobson, prosecuting at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court today, said Constable George suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after the attack.

“He really lost confidence in himself and in his role as a police officer,” she said. “While the physical injuries had healed by March 2007, the psychological effects took a much longer time to resolve.”

Mrs Jo Griffiths, for Armer, said he was most worried about the impact on his family.

“He lives at home with his mum, stepfather and siblings, including a 17-year-old brother who is highly dependent on him because of the effects of an attack upon him,” she said.

“It makes him feel ashamed that he has put his family through this.”

Judge Glenn described the attack as “cowardly”.

Sentencing, he told Armer: “You attacked Constable George who was simply doing his job in difficult circumstances on Christmas Eve, dealing with four people, all of whom were drunk.

“The catalyst was his perfectly proper arrest of the first male who was bouncing up and down on his police car. You took exception to that arrest. The officer was frightened.

“I’m satisfied you threw a punch which floored him and once he was grounded you carried on the assault he was repeatedly struck while on the ground. He was kicked and stamped on.

“It was an unprovoked assault - a group assault started by you.”

Judge Glenn said although Armer, of Deepfield, Dawley, was not workshy and had “impressive” references, the attack was so serious only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

By Lizzie Yates