Man jailed for punching off-duty police officer, fracturing cheekbone
ATTACKER GOT INVOLVED IN ROW THAT WAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM
It was spur of the moment. He is disgusted by his behaviour
Steven Freestone, mitigating
A Hot-headed troublemaker punched an off-duty policeman an “almighty blow” through his open car window, leaving him with a broken cheekbone.
Quick-tempered Niall Shaw got involved in a confrontation that was nothing to do with him after the officer beeped his car horn at an elderly woman.
The victim had been left upset by the unprovoked attack and wanting to change his job within Humberside Police so he could do something where he was less likely to have problems, Hull Crown Court heard.
Shaw, 31, of Magnolia Close, Driffield, admitted assaulting the off-duty officer, causing actual bodily harm, on April 10.
Jeremy Evans, prosecuting, said that the off-duty officer was driving with his wife to a convenience store in Scarborough Road, Driffield, when he pipped his horn at a reversing vehicle driven by an elderly woman.
Shaw’s partner, who was sitting in his Mercedes, become involved in the matter after seemingly getting angry that it was an elderly woman who had been beeped at by the driver.
The officer’s wife in the other car became aware of Shaw’s partner shouting obscenities, including “F***ing tramp”.
Shaw was nearby and he became involved after asking her: “What are you shouting at?”
Shaw approached the driver as he sat inside his car and asked: “What are you saying to my missus?”
Suddenly and without warning, Shaw punched him, striking an “almighty blow” to his face through the open window, leaving him dazed.
The off-duty officer got out of the car and produced his police warrant card but Shaw drove off.
The victim was bleeding from an eye and went to Accident and Emergency at Scarborough Hospital. He had suffered a fractured cheekbone.
The incident had left the officer feeling anxious and vulnerable after the unprovoked attack.
He was nervous in public and wanted to change his police job to avoid situations of conflict.
Shaw had convictions for three previous convictions and had been jailed for 15 months in October 2019 for assault causing actual bodily harm.
The victim in that offence was a 15-year-old boy, who was forced off his bike and attacked by Shaw and another man for apparently breaking windows.
Steven Freestone, mitigating, said that Shaw arrived on the scene to see his partner and the victim exchanging words.
“It was clearly not premeditated,” said Mr Freestone.
“It was spur of the moment. He is disgusted by his behaviour.
“He concedes he handled the situation terribly.”
Shaw, a civil engineer, believed that his partner had been “wronged in some way” because there “had been some shouting going on”.
He should have spoken to her, got in his car and left the scene.
Judge Sophie Mckone told Shaw: “What happened in that car park had nothing whatever to do with you but you took it upon yourself to become involved.
“You broke his cheekbone. You also have left him feeling very vulnerable and very anxious and he now wants to move house because he doesn’t feel safe.
“It has affected his personality so that he wants to avoid confrontation.”
Judge Mckone said of the police officer: “He has asked to change roles within that service.
“Your actions on that day have had serious consequences for him. It was a short-lived and impulsive offence.
“It was somebody sitting in a car park minding their own business and you hit them so hard that it broke their cheekbone.”
Shaw was jailed for ten months and was given a three-year restraining order.