Community order for man who resisted police at Llanbedr campsite

Andrew Jones, of Bala Road, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court for sentence on Wednesday morning.

The 33-year-old had previously admitted two offences of resisting or obstructing a police officer.

Simon Rogers, prosecuting, told the court the commission of the offences put the defendant in breach of a suspended sentence order imposed in May last year for affray - for which he received a 15 month sentence which was suspended for 18 months.

Mr Rogers explained in the current offences, police were called to Shell Island campsite in Llanbedr, Gwynedd, regarding an alleged assault in July this year.

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It was believed the person responsible was staying in a tent at the site, and as officers woke individuals at around 4.30am to investigate the incident, Jones emerged from his tent.

He was identified as potentially being responsible for the assault and after urinating, he was told he was under arrest.

But he started to walk away, shouting: "You're not f****** arresting me."

Officers tried to take hold of his arms, but he flailed around and appeared "irate."

He was taken to the ground and continued to resist, until officers used captor spray on him.

One of the officers felt pain immediately after the confrontation and later went to hospital - where he was told he had suspected broken ribs.

It wasn't clear how the injury was sustained, Mr Rogers said, but the officer was on sick leave for two weeks and then returned on desk duties; depriving the force of an officer on the beat.

In bodycam footage of the incident shown to the court, Jones could be heard hurling abuse at the officers, calling them "f****** amateurs," and '12-year-olds.'

When he was interviewed he admitted having resisted the officers, but said he was angry as he hadn't done anything wrong to warrant the initial arrest.

Dafydd Roberts, defending, said no charges had arisen as a result of the assault allegation.

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He added: "He could not understand why he was being arrested but it was not acceptable and he should not have acted in that way.

"He is disappointed with himself for the way he behaved."

Mr Roberts told the court there had been good compliance on his client's suspended sentence order and invited Judge Nicola Saffman to make the order more onerous as opposed to activating it and jailing him.

The Judge told him: "I am sure you're thoroughly ashamed and embarrassed, having seen what I have just seen.

"You attended Shell Island - a place families go to holiday.

"[During the incident] there were other people present around that tent who were there to holiday.

"There was a report of an assault and you were identified as the person who carried out the assault - that was incorrect, but instead of complying you were shouting and swearing.

"You're a man of some size and strength and it took all of those officers to control you."

The Judge opted to extend the operational period of his suspended sentence order by six months, and handed down a high-level community order of 18 months.

As part of it, Jones must undertake 35 sessions on a thinking skills programme, as well as a 120 day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement.

He was ordered to pay £500 compensation to the injured officer, as well as a £114 victim surcharge.

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