Hotel guest ‘with HIV’ punched and bit police
POLICE officers were bitten and punched in a Cardiff hotel while attempting to arrest a man who claimed to have HIV.
Jack Elmer, 27, was staying at the Park Plaza hotel in the city centre on August 13 with a woman but the police were contacted after staff members became concerned for her welfare.
Officers PC Gareth Handy, PC Timothy Carter, and PC Ola Semenova were on patrol in Greyfriars Road when they were notified by a hotel staff member about an “unfolding incident”.
But when they attempted to speak to the woman, Elmer told PC Semenova “shut the f*** up you stupid s***” before unleashing a vicious assault on the three officers.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court yesterday heard the defendant answered the door when the officers attended his hotel room and was “immediately confrontational and aggressive”.
He also appeared intoxicated and was slurring his words.
When they entered the room they could see the woman was distressed but it wasn’t clear what had happened.
They took the woman to the front of the building and attempted to talk to her but Elmer stood nearby and observed the conversation while smoking a cigarette.
He then verbally abused PC Semenova and he was arrested for a breach of the peace.
Describing the assaults, prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said: “The defendant appeared to lunge towards the female so they grabbed him in order to restrain him.
“He struggled and they tried to take him to the floor and the defendant in his struggle tried to punch the officers. He pulled PC Handy to the floor and struck him to the face.
“He wrapped his leg around PC Carter’s legs and kicked him to the hand.
“The defendant struck PC Handy
again to the face and hooked a finger into his cheek, pulling it towards him and the ground.
“PC Handy tried to force the defendant to release his grip and punched him twice to the face but he wouldn’t release.
“The officer then bit down on the defendant’s finger, causing him to bleed in the officer’s mouth.
“The defendant then tried to bite the officer, snapping his teeth at the officer’s hand.
“PC Semenova tried to handcuff the defendant, not before he punched her twice to the shoulder and bit her hand as she applied cuffs.
“The defendant was ultimately restrained to await the arrival of other officers.
“He then shouted ‘Daft c*** who punched me, I have HIV’.”
Following his arrest, Elmer was interviewed and claimed he had little recollection of the assaults.
He said he did not have HIV and wished to apologise to the officers.
The defendant, of Silverstone Walk Kingsway, Gloucester, later pleaded guilty to three counts of assaulting an emergency worker.
The court also heard he was in breach of a conditional discharge for assaulting a security guard at Gloucester Royal Hospital on January 21.
In mitigation, defence barrister Adam Sharp said his client had issues with alcohol and cocaine misuse and had suffered with behavioural issues from a young age.
He said Elmer had been diagnosed with a rare condition as well as anxiety and depression, but he is now in a relationship and expecting a child, which has stabilised his behaviour.
Sentencing, Judge Geraint Walters said: “You told the police you were suffering with HIV.
“You knew exactly the purpose of saying that was to cause maximum distress and worry to them.
“The courts are disturbed by people like you who assault people who are carrying out public service in difficult times.”
Elmer was sentenced to a total of nine months’ imprisonment.