Police officers were sprayed in the face with PAVA spray after the man they were trying to arrest took it from them and tried to escape. He later took possession of a knife and threatened to stab himself.
Daniel Jones, 32, was at his mother's house in Penywaun, near Aberdare, on March 15 when two officers visited the address to arrest him, after he breached his licence following a domestic incident. He was found folding clothes and was initially calm but became "extremely aggressive" after he was told he would be placed in handcuffs.
A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Monday heard Jones refused to leave and pinned one of the officers to a bed. Attempts were made by the second officer to get him off but she resorted to kicking him when he failed to act on her instructions. She took out her PAVA spray but Jones managed to rip it from her grasp and sprayed both of the officers in the face.
Read more: Get the latest court cases sent to your email inbox with our Crime & Punishment newsletter
The defendant than ran away from the house while still in the possession of the PAVA spray as the two officers chased him in the street. At one point he picked up a bicycle as if he was going to throw it at the officers, but put it down.
He was found sitting on the window sill of a first floor flat and was in possession of a knife. He could he heard shouting at the officers "Do what you want you daft c***, I'll cut your ponytail off. I'll take you off your feet you daft c***." The defendant made threats he was going to stab himself but the officers were eventually able to arrest him.
Jones, of Heol y Mynydd, Aberdare, later pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid/gas/electrical incapacitation, and affray. The court heard he had 31 previous convictions including multiple offences of assaulting emergency workers.
In mitigation, the court was told Jones was under the influence of amphetamine and Valium at the time of the assaults, having realised he was likely to be recalled back to prison for the breach of his licence. The defendant, whose partner is five weeks pregnant, was said to have otherwise responded well to his licence conditions.
Sentencing, Recorder Paul Hopkins KC said: "These officers faced challenging circumstances in what was unwarranted behaviour from you." He sentenced Jones to a total of 16 months imprisonment.
READ NEXT:
Baguette shop owner started dealing cocaine and MDMA after his business hit financial trouble
-
Man stabbed 'out of the blue' by complete stranger
Unconscious man badly injured after teens cover him in burning rubbish
You can sign up to our regular Crime and Punishment newsletter here while this interactive tool allows you to check the latest crime statistics for your area:
