North Shropshire man jailed after fracturing police officer's facial bone in shocking attack as he tried to escape arrest
A man has been jailed after seriously injuring a police officer during an attack in north Shropshire.
Jamie Henderson-Jones, 26 and of Brookside, Wem, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to five offences.
Henderson-Jones admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent, criminal damage and assault by beating of an emergency worker, as well as driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
The charges related to an incident on July 10, 2024.
Suzanne Francis, prosecuting, said that police in a marked vehicle had seen Henderson-Jones driving an Audi A3 in the daytime on Station Road in Wem.
Knowing he was already disqualified from driving PC Jack Harper started to follow the vehicle - which had previously been seized from the defendant.
The court heard PC Harper lost sight of the car but, accompanied by a police community support officer (PCSO), drove to Cordwell Park, where Henderson-Jones was known to leave his vehicle.
The officers located the car and saw the defendant and another man walking into a block of flats.
The PCSO maintained their distance while PC Harper followed Henderson-Jones. In a stairwell he attempted to arrest Henderson-Jones who reacted aggressively, pushing the officer in the chest.
In the altercation that followed PC Harper tried to use PAVA incapacitant spray to subdue the defendant, but the situation escalated with Henderson-Jones continuing to resist arrest.
The court was shown CCTV of the chaotic scene as the officer attempted to place the defendant under arrest.
Henderson-Jones hit the officer in the head three times and forced him through a window, which caused cuts to his hand and the upper part of his body.
The defendant then ran from the scene, pushing past the PCSO to escape.
The CCTV footage showed PC Harper's hand covered in blood in the wake of the assault, as his colleague called for an ambulance.
Henderson-Jones was arrested later that evening when other officers saw him walking on Station Road.
PC Harper was taken to hospital where he was found to have a fracture under his eye socket.
He was initially told the injury would require surgery to prevent the risk of future injury - although that has not taken place because of the risk it could lead to a loss of vision.
Defendant said he was 'devastated' when he heard about PC's injury
The court heard that the defendant provided a statement to police saying: "I accept I resisted arrest. It was not my intention to cause any harm to the officer, I was simply trying to get away."
He also told officers he was "devastated" when hearing that PC Harper would need surgery.
He added that "both parties could have handled the situation better".
The court heard a victim impact statement from PC Harper which described how the incident had caused him to doubt in his own ability and wonder if he himself had done something wrong.
He also told of the physical impact of the attack, saying he had been left with pain in his hand, and was not able to open his eye for several days, with double vision when he eventually could.
The court heard that the officer has also struggled with sleep in the wake of the incident.
Ms Francis added that Henderson-Jones has four convictions for eight previous offences.
Robert Edwards, mitigating, said it was an incident "that should have never happened".
He highlighted the defendant's distress when informed of the injury to PC Harper and added: "There is a telling line in the pre-sentence report which says this, 'that police officers do not go to work to get hurt'."
Mr Edwards said that the comment had come from Henderson-Jones, without any prompting.
He added that the defendant struggled to understand why he had reacted the way he did, but said he had been stopped a number of times by police since the incident, and there had been no repeat of the assault.
Mr Edwards urged the court to suspend any prison sentence, adding that Henderson-Jones is remorseful, as evidenced by his guilty pleas.
Sentencing, Judge Trevor Meegan told the defendant: "An attack on a police officer while on active duty is not only an attack upon an active public servant but it is also an attack on the good order of society and it undermines the authority and the police service as a whole."
He said he accepted Henderson-Jones' remorse was genuine and that he had suffered a difficult background growing up.
But he said he was not prepared to suspend the sentence, saying: "It cannot be suspended because of the need for punishment, the need to protect serving police officers and the seriousness of the offence."
Henderson-Jones was sentenced to two years in prison, of which he will serve 40 per cent before being released on licence.