Appeal is costly for Telford assault case man

A man who assaulted police officers while they tried to arrest him has almost doubled the amount he has to pay after not turning up at his own appeal.

Lewis Deacon was found guilty of assaulting Pc Jim Reynolds and Pc Mark Tomlin and fined £100 at Telford Magistrates Court on August 5.

The assault happened when officers were called to his home at Downton Court, Hollinswood, Telford on April 1 to find he had smashed the place up and was arguing with three others while half-dressed.

In a scuffle while resisting arrest he was said to have struck two of the four officers on the scene.

He was also ordered to pay £400 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Deacon appealed the decision, but failed to show for a hearing at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

Philip Clemo, defending, said Deacon had not returned any messages and he had received no instructions from him on how to proceed.

Laura Culley, prosecuting, said that when four officers arrived at Downton Court after a report of a disturbance there, they found the communal door to the flats "smashed to pieces".

Deacon, who was not wearing a top, had blood around his mouth and had scratches and marks on his torso, was arguing with three others in the ground floor flat. He was drinking whisky from a bottle.

Pc Tomlin said: "Mr Deacon had been in a relationship with one of the females in the flat, who had found him in a position she was not too happy with with the other female in the flat, and she wanted him to leave."

Pc Reynolds said: "The argument was still going on and he was drunk. He admitted to smashing up items within the property, even though it was his own address.

"It was not appropriate to leave him there, especially as one of the women was pregnant"

He said Deacon was asked to leave several times but he refused.

Pc Tomlin said: "After a good five minutes of trying to coax Mr Deacon into leaving I told him he was under arrest for breaching the peace."

Deacon then stepped back and clenched his fists, he said, so officers tried to take his arms, at which point he struck Pc Reynolds in the face and he was wrestled to the floor by Px Tomlin.

"There was about four minutes of a nasty struggle, trying to get Mr Deacon in handcuffs. He was thrashing about wildly," he said.

He said Deacon ripped one of his applets, started spitting, tried to bite him and hit him "at least 10 times" before he was finally cuffed.

Judge Robert Mark Eades said: "It is clear he was violent and there was a struggle. We take the view that the arrest was lawful and that any struggle would have been unlawful by Deacon."

The appeal was quashed and Deacon was ordered to pay a further £400 costs, bringing the total he had to pay to £920.