Cop attacker released three months into 46-month sentence: 'Not good enough and something needs to change'

The public are beginning to view court sentences as ‘meaningless’ with violent offenders being released having served only a fraction of their terms, Shropshire’s police and crime commissioner has warned.

John Campion, West Mercia’s Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, has written to the Home Secretary outlining his concerns - sparked by the case of a police officer who was seriously injured in a violent attack.

West Mercia Police officer PC Ryan Davis was assaulted while on duty on Good Friday 2024.

He suffered a dislocated and broken ankle, a broken lower leg, multiple fractures and facial injuries, including damage to an eye, after being punched, kicked, stamped on and strangled.

In his letter Mr Campion revealed one attacker has been released after serving three months of a 46-month sentence in prison.

In a lengthy letter the commissioner spoke about frustration at the amount of time the attackers will spend in prison, and his worries about government plans for criminals to serve even less of their sentences in prison.

Mr Campion described “grave concern” and the “growing damage it is causing to victims, communities, public confidence and frontline policing”.

He said: “The warning signs are no longer theoretical. Sir Brian Leveson’s recent independent review warned that the criminal justice system is at risk of collapse.

“Record court delays, overcrowded prisons and mounting pressure on policing are creating a system that increasingly fails victims whilst eroding public trust in justice. This system has been weakened by years of inaction from the previous Government and now a failure to act from the current Government.”

Speaking specifically about PC Davis’s case, Mr Campion said it was an injustice that many of the public would struggle to comprehend.

He said: “PC Davis was violently assaulted whilst on duty on Good Friday 2024. He suffered a dislocated and broken ankle, a broken lower leg, multiple fractures and facial injuries, including damage to an eye, after being punched, kicked, stamped on and strangled to the point of unconsciousness.

“The physical and psychological impact of this attack will remain with him for life.

“Yet despite the shocking violence involved, the justice system has failed him.

“One attacker was released under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme after serving just three months of a 46‑month sentence. Another offender involved is expected to be released imminently under the same arrangements.

“To the public, this is hard to comprehend. When violent offenders are serving only a fraction of their sentence, confidence in the justice system will inevitably be undermined.

He added: “PC Davis didn’t just face an injustice from a shortened sentence, but the case was further impacted by significant court delays, with plea negotiations introduced in part to avoid the trial being adjourned until December 2027.

“Victims should not have to accept compromised outcomes because the justice system lacks the capacity to function effectively.”

The commissioner also voiced further worries about changes to rules that could see some offenders released after serving as little as one third of their sentence.

He said: “This is not simply about one case. It reflects a wider and deeply concerning shift where system pressures are beginning to outweigh the principles of justice, accountability and public protection.

“My concerns are heightened further by the forthcoming Sentencing Act reforms and the proposed Earned Progression Model, due to be introduced from Autumn 2026.

“Under these proposals, many offenders serving standard determinate sentences may become eligible for release after serving as little as one third of their sentence in custody, with the remainder served in the community.

“Whilst I recognise the pressure facing the prison estate, it’s not good enough and something needs to change. Otherwise, there is a real danger that the public will increasingly view sentencing as meaningless if the punishment handed down in court bears little resemblance to the time actually served.

“For victims already enduring long investigations, years of court delays and immense emotional strain, the prospect of offenders being released even earlier risks destroying what little confidence remains in the criminal justice process.”

Mr Campion said the changes would also push a further burden onto police officers, with policing resources already under significant pressure.

He said: “At the same time, these policies transfer ever greater risk into communities and onto policing. As more offenders are managed through licence conditions, bail and early-release arrangements, police forces are expected to absorb additional demand without the necessary increase in resources, capacity or infrastructure.

“If meaningful reform and investment do not accompany these changes, we risk reaching a point where victims lose faith, communities lose confidence and policing is left carrying the consequences of a justice system that the public no longer believes delivers justice.”

Responding to the letter, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with Ryan Davis - his experience was horrific and violence against police officers is completely unacceptable.

“This government inherited prisons in crisis but took tough action to avoid a total collapse of the system, starting with investing £7 billion in 14,000 more prison places by 2031. We have already opened more than 3,000 prison places since July 2024.

“That’s alongside sentencing reforms to keep the most dangerous behind bars for longer, an historic increase in tagging, and record investment in probation to make our streets safer.”