Case against man accused of assaulting three Suffolk Police officers dropped over barrister shortage
A suspect who allegedly assaulted three Suffolk Police officers has been "let off with no punishment" because of a shortage of barristers, the Police Federation has claimed.
The organisation said the officers had been “sensationally been let down” by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after a judge refused to adjourn the case, instead directing not guilty verdicts to be recorded.
The three officers were assaulted while on duty by a suspect who has 161 previous convictions including assaults against police officers.
The CPS said efforts were made to find a replacement barrister and it requested an adjournment but this was denied by the court.
“We are disheartened to hear that three police officers have sensationally been let down by the Crown Prosecution Service,” the Police Federation said.
“Whilst we understand the current backlog and pressures on the system are having an effect on criminal justice, this cannot be allowed to continue.
“Victims are being let down, losing hope and left feeling that their experience is irrelevant.”
The organisation said the suspect has “effectively been let off with no punishment for his actions” and it comes as “just one example of where our police officers are being let down by the criminal justice system”.
The Police Federation also said the decision has led to an “enormous waste of resources” due to the time it took to prepare the case file as well as the force being left short in their numbers as all three officers, plus two more as witnesses, had been warned to come to court.
“The domino impact of this decision is plain to see,” it said in a statement. “This is simply unacceptable.”
The organisation called for the criminal justice system to be fixed “immediately” and asked for reassurance that cases involving police officers are not thrown out.
Darren Harris, chairman of Suffolk Police Federation, said: “Where is the deterrent when someone can be accused of this type of offence and then simply see the case dropped?
“Police officers put their lives on the line to serve and protect the public and the very least that they should expect in return is a criminal justice system that punishes those who fail to respect their unique position in society.”
Meanwhile, the police officers, who were not named by the Police Federation, also expressed their disappointment at the decision.
One said: “We are here to protect victims and when we are victims ourselves doing our duty, the offender is allowed to walk away with no consequences.”
Another added: “I am disappointed with the decision and frustrated we get assaulted in the line of duty and the court doesn’t seem to care.”
The third officer said: “I am angry. What is the point of recording a crime of assault if it won’t go anywhere? All the work that goes into (the) case feels like it’s not worth it.”
A CPS spokesperson said: “Assaults against emergency workers are taken very seriously by the CPS and we work closely alongside the police and other partner agencies to build strong cases to deliver justice.
“The scheduled barrister was unable to attend the trial and, despite the best efforts, a replacement barrister was unable to be found. A request for an adjournment was made by the CPS in order to continue the case on another date. However, this was denied by the court.
“We acknowledge that this will be a disappointing outcome for those involved.”
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know