Suspect punched then tried to suffocate Northamptonshire police officer over gun check

A police officer has told a court he believed he about to die when he was suffocated by a suspect in the street.

Sgt Dave Cayton from Northamptonshire Police had been called to a car park area in Wellingborough after police received reports of a man carrying a gun bag being seen in the area.

When he arrived, 57-year-old Max Hallam punched him in the face, wrestled him to the ground and sat on his chest, restricting the officer's breathing.

Another officer then arrived at the scene and stopped Hallam, who admitted a charge of intentional suffocation at Northampton Crown Court.

The court heard that Sgt Cayton was left with several injuries to his face.In his statement, he said: "I was struggling to breathe because of the pressure on my chest and felt I was never going to escape.   

"What happened on that day are events that will never leave me. I genuinely believed I would die."

Hallam will be sentenced at the same court on 17 February.  

Chief Constable Nick Adderley, said: "The protection of my officers is something that is incredibly close to my heart and incidents like this truly chill me to my core.   

"None of them come to work to be assaulted and this was an utterly horrifying attack on a dedicated and hardworking sergeant who has shown an incredible sense of duty during his entire career with Northamptonshire Police.   

"An attack on a police officer is not only an attack on the uniform but on a person – a person with a family who love them and a family hoping that they will come home safe every night.

"I am pleased to see Max Hallam plead guilty to this awful crime and I hope his sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence."

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