Prison for man who attacked and injured two police officers

Arbroath: Ling violently struggled with four police officers as he resisted arrest

An Angus man who carried out two violent assaults on police officers has been jailed.

Jaeron Ling, 28, who lives at Angus Cottages by Friockheim, launched the attacks at a flat in Arbroath High Street last summer.

One of the attacks resulted in the officer’s “severe injury”.

Ling was found guilty of four charges after trial at Dundee Sheriff Court and sentenced to 25 weeks in jail.

He was convicted of assaulting PC Charles Demore by struggling with him and causing him to fall against a door frame, to his injury.

He was also found guilty of assaulting PC Scott Hunter by struggling with him, to his severe injury.

Ling was found guilty of resisting four police officers by struggling violently with them and lashing out with his arms and legs.

He was further found guilty of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, uttering threats of violence and acting abusively towards police officers.

All the offences took place on July 13 last year.

Earlier this year, Ling was banned from the roads for 12 months and sentenced to carry out unpaid work after being found guilty of driving at 82mph in a 40mph zone on the A92.

David Hamilton, chairman of the north area committee of the Scottish Police Federation – which represents officers – said: “Any type of violence and aggression towards those charged with upholding the law is utterly unacceptable.

“These two officers came to their work to protect members of the public, not be attacked and injured by one.

“We welcome this custodial sentence and hope that people realise that an attack on police officers is an attack on society itself.”

Arbroath councillor David Fairweather said: “I would certainly condemn any incident in which a police officer is assaulted in the line of duty. “It absolutely cannot be tolerated. “I would be hoping that the officers, who were just trying to do a job – for which they are extremely well trained – have made a full recovery and have not suffered lasting damage.

“I’d also hope that the justice handed down from the courts is proportional to the harm inflicted on the officers.”

These two officers came to their work to protect members of the public, not to be attacked and injured by one. DAVID HAMILTON, SCOTTISH POLICE FEDERATION