Hinckley man sentenced for assaulting police officer

A man from Hinckley who head butted a police officer has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Aaron Statham, 31, of William Iliffe Street, Hinckley, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, failing to provide a specimen of saliva for a roadside drugs test and possession of cannabis.

A Warwickshire police spokesperson said: "It followed an incident in High Street, Ryton on Dunsmore on 14 July when officers stopped Statham’s car and asked him to provide a specimen of saliva. He refused and as an officer tried to put Statham under arrest he was head butted.

"Statham was given a six month prison sentence suspended for a year, ordered to pay £385 in costs and compensation, and banned from driving for two years."

Chief Superintendent Ben Smith, head of local policing, said: “Fortunately the officer was not badly hurt in this incident but it demonstrates the danger police officers face. Assaulting emergency service workers in their duty is unacceptable and we will always look to bring offenders to justice.”