Gwent police officer found guilty of kicking wife down stairs

A police officer has been found guilty of breaking his wife's back after kicking her down the stairs.

Huw Orphan from Barry was convicted of grievous bodily harm following his trial at Cardiff Crown Court.

Amy Burley, a fellow police officer, was left with a broken back on 8 April, 2020.

31-year-old Orphan, who was a constable with Gwent Police at the time of the incident, denied inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, claiming that he had not meant to make contact with his wife nor cause her any harm.

Huw Orphan had been arguing with his wife by text messages beforehand the court heard.

He claimed that he was trying to 'jump' up the stairs to put some distance between them, and that his leg accidentally made contact with Ms Burley.

A jury at Cardiff Crown Court found him not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent but found him guilty of the lesser charge of causing grievous bodily harm.

He was also found guilty of causing actual bodily harm in a separate incident before the couple moved to Barry.

During the trial, the prosecution argued that Orphan was making up his story about accidentally catching his wife with his leg as he climbed the stairs in order to cover what he had done.

It was the prosecution's case that he had lost his temper and deliberately kicked his partner causing her to "fly backwards" down the stairs and break her back.

Orphan denied that, saying it was his wife who had lost her temper, not him.

In his evidence, Orphan told the jury his relationship with fellow Gwent Police officer Amy Burley began in April or May 2018. They married and moved in together in a house his wife was renting in Newport the following summer.

The jury was told the couple's relationship was initially "very positive" but changed over time. By the time the couple moved to a house in Barry in February 2020, Orphan described the relationship as "in tatters".

On receiving the verdict Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke addressed Orphan, telling him that a pre-sentence report would be requested to provide her with more information on his background prior to sentencing.

He's been granted unconditional bail until his hearing, which is due to take place on October 25.

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