Burglar ‘like wild animal’ attacked police – court
A BURGLAR caught red-handed breaking into a shop was like a “wild animal” as he attacked and injured five police officers.
Benjamin Davies kicked and struck officers, spat blood in the face of one and told him he hoped he catches Covid, and grabbed a policewoman’s breast and twisted it.
Swansea Crown Court heard the 21-year-old is ashamed of the way he behaved.
Ashanti-Jade Walton, prosecuting, said on the evening of May 2 this year a passer-by saw a hooded figure smashing the window of the Refresh shop in Stepney Street, Llanelli, and going inside. The person challenged the intruder – later identified as Davies – and was told the owner owed him money.
The court heard the witness called 999. Davies was still in the shop when officers arrived, and he appeared to be collecting items ready to remove from the store.
Miss Walton said Davies became aggressive towards the officers, and began shouting and swearing. Three officers tried to restrain the defendant and took him to the floor, and during the struggle he tried to pick up a metal bar before grabbing a female officer by the hair. Davies was eventually sprayed with incapacitant spray and placed in handcuffs.
The prosecutor said: “He kept shouting that what the police were doing was unlawful.”
Davies continued to struggle as he was being taken to the police van, telling officers “take your uniform off and I’ll fight you like a real man”. He then kicked one officer in the groin”
Davies, of Granby Close, Morfa, Llanelli, had previously pleaded guilty to burglary, four counts of assaulting a police officer by beating, and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
Helen Randall, for Davies, said the defendant abuses alcohol and drugs, and realises he needs to tackle that problem to turn his life around.
Giving the defendant a one-third discount for his guilty pleas, Judge Geraint Walters sentenced him to a total of 16 months in prison comprising four months for the burglary, six months for the assaults by beating, and six months for the assault occasioning actual bodily harm all to run consecutively.