Bridgend Man Jailed for Strangling Police Officer

A police officer was strangled by a violent and intoxicated man who breached a restraining order after turning up at his former partner’s home in Bridgend. 👮‍♂️⚖️

Thomas Campbell, 30, attacked PC Timothy John on August 12 last year when officers responded to a disturbance. Despite being subject to a restraining order preventing contact with his former partner, Campbell refused to leave the premises.

When PC John attempted to arrest Campbell, the officer was placed in a headlock and pulled onto a sofa. Body-worn camera footage played in court showed Campbell shouting: “You’ve got nothing on me p****hole”. Officers eventually subdued him using pava spray.

PC John suffered bruises to his underarm, marks to his neck and bruises to his right arm. In his statement to the court, he said: “I understand my role as an officer puts me in situations of conflict and risk. I don’t expect somebody to assault me when I was purely just doing my job. There was no need for this incident to turn into a physical altercation. I had to explain to my family where the injuries came from which caused them stress and left me with levels of embarrassment and guilt.”

Campbell, of New Road Court, Porthcawl, pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation. He has 30 previous convictions including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, public disorder and criminal damage.

In mitigation, defence counsel Christopher Evans said Campbell was recovering from sepsis at the time after being bitten by a dog. Mr Evans added that his client wanted to apologise for his behaviour and noted that alcohol had been problematic, but Campbell has detoxed while on remand.

Judge Richard Kember sentenced Campbell to 21 months imprisonment at Cardiff Crown Court. He will serve half in custody before being released on licence.