By Tony O’Reilly-
A man has been jailed for assaulting two female police officers.
At Plymouth Crown Court, 31-year-old Aaron Doherty(pictured) from Strabane in Northern Ireland was sentenced for assaulting two Devon and Cornwall Police officers.
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The incident occurred in Devonport shortly before 10 pm on August 29, following information that Doherty had breached the conditions of a court-issued protection order.
The officers had stopped Doherty, attempting to arrest him due to the reported breach.
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However, he resisted arrest by locking his arms to prevent the application of handcuffs..
As one of the cops attempted to apprehend him, Doherty threw her to the ground where she smashed her head.
He then pushed the second officer to the floor before running and jumping into a garden. The push of one of the officers caused her to fall and hit her head on the floor. Doherty then pushed the second officer to the ground before fleeing and hiding in a nearby garden.
Both officers pursued Doherty, with one attempting to detain and control him. During the confrontation, he grabbed one officer by the throat, despite her pleas that he was strangling her and she couldn’t breathe.
Additionally, Doherty grabbed the wrist of the other officer, causing her pain. The officers managed to regain control and detain Doherty until additional units arrived for support.
During the subsequent interview, Doherty claimed he had no intention of harming the officers and was unaware of the injuries caused during the incident. However, he pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting an emergency service worker and one count of intentional strangulation.
At his sentencing, Patrol Inspector Roger Hocking praised the professionalism of the officers involved and emphasized the lasting impact of the incident on their well-being. He stated, “No one goes to work to be assaulted, and violence against officers will not be tolerated. As this result shows, we will seek to bring offenders to justice for these offenses.”
The Devon and Cornwall Police remain committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of their officers as they carry out their vital roles in the community.
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