Mold Crown Court judge spares police attacker from custody

John Gomm, from Canterbury in Kent, was sentenced by Judge Niclas Parry on Tuesday, July 23 for two offences of assaulting an emergency worker as well as possession of an offensive weapon – an extendable baton.

He was given three months – suspended for 12 months – for all offences for the incident on Llansantffraid on January 30 where six officers were sent to assess whether a burglary was taking place.

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This led to Gomm, and his son Jack, resisting arrest and two officers – PC Richard Price and PC Thomas Woosnam – both being hurt.

Gomm had previously pleaded guilty to possession of the weapon in a public place.

His sentencing was delayed after an initial request for an adjournment for a pre-sentence report was rejected by Judge Parry who asked probation service to carry it out immediately.

His Honour heard that the defendant had not met appointments because correspondence was being sent to a ‘care of’ address – his mother’s home – in Kent and that he was not living there.

Judge Parry was then told that Gomm was ‘living in terror’ because of a running feud with an Albanian gang following a separate incident in a nightclub.

This was why he was living in a caravan close to his mother’s home and why he was not able to keep his appointment with probation for the report.

Judge Parry then called the case back around two hours later to receive a verbal report from probation who said the defendant did not accept punching officers.

However, he did accept that his recollection of events may differ from the truth and accepted that he may have caused injuries.

He also bought the baton at a car boot sale for his own protection in the feud with the Albanian gang.

In mitigation, his barrister agreed with Judge Parry’s assertion that it warranted a custodial sentence but asked for it to be suspended as Gomm, who was a self-employed bricklayer, has work lined up for 12 months.

This, they said, would allow him to pay compensation.

Judge Parry said: “I don’t know what’s behind this dispute with the Albanians but its more than someone chatting up an Albanian girl in a club.

“Your using of this as an excuse for why (sentencing was delayed) has to stop.

“You started this – these men that you approached and were antagonistic to were police officers – you thought you were more important than them and they tried to do their job in a civil manner.

“It was a waste of police resources – so many were there because of you and they were injured because of you.

“They simply attended to see if there had been a burglary and you attacked them and that has to be a custodial sentence.”

Gomm was given no separate penalty for the weapon, which was confiscated, but was ordered to pay £400 to PC Price and £100 to PC Woosnam and also complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £1,500 in costs to the prosecution.