A WREXHAM man who strangled a female police officer responding to a domestic incident has been jailed. 

Callum Williams, of Coed Efa, New Broughton, appeared before Mold Crown Court for sentencing today (Thursday, August 8). The 26-year-old had previously admitted one count of intentional strangulation. 

David Mainstone, prosecuting, said that March 16 of this year police officers had been called to reports of a disturbance at the defendant's home address. 

PC's Land and Gorman attended the address, and heard a child crying from inside as they knocked on the door. Eventually, Emma Jones, the defendant's partner, answered the door. She was immediately aggressively shouting, wanting to know why the officers were banging on the door. 

The court heard that Miss Jones was clearly intoxicated, as was Williams who shortly afterwards came down the stairs, having a white residue around his nose. Miss Jones was loudly arguing that the officers couldn't enter the address without a warrant. 

The defendant and Miss Jones agreed to go upstairs with PC Land - who spoke to them in an effort to calm the situation. Miss Jones then went downstairs in an effort to close and lock the front door as she didn't want PC Gorman in the house. PC Gorman resisted her attempts to close the front door as he didn't want to leave his colleague alone in the house. 

The court heard Miss Jones became more aggressive, and as PC Gorman tried to restrain her - Williams tried to pull his partner back into the house. At the same time, the defendant kept PC Land back by using his right hand to apply pressure to the officer's neck. PC Land told him: "Let go, you're on my neck". Williams did release the grip on PC Land, but continued to struggle with her as he tried to pull Miss Jones back into the house. 

Williams got both PC Land and Miss Jones in a headlock, causing the officer to feel pressure all around her neck. She was unable to free herself or press the emergency assistance button. Williams tightened the grip around the officer's neck, and she began to panic as she was struggling to breathe. PC Gorman was attempting to help his colleague, but the defendant just kept squeezing harder. 

Further officers then arrived and were able to free PC Land. The defendant was arrested, as was Miss Jones. In police interview, Williams said he had been intoxicated having consumed whiskey and lager over the course of the evening. He could not fully recall what had happened but accepted he had struck out at PC Land and made contact with her neck. The defendant said he was trying to de-escalate the situation. 

PC Land said that following the incident, the severity and danger of it hit her - and she was visibly shaking. She had reddening to her neck which throbbed with pain, and back ache from trying to pull away from the defendant. PC Land was left feeling "very emotional" about how "frightened and helpless" she was. She said she has a family to return home to after each shift, and this incident put that into perspective. 

Emma Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and one offence of obstructing police at Wrexham Magistrates Court on April 2. She was given a nine-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months. 

The defendant had 10 previous convictions for 24 offences - including wounding with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm on a police officer, as well as two assaults with attempt to resist arrest and common assault on three officers. He was also in breach of a suspended prison sentence issued in February of this year for various motoring offences and obstructing a police officer.

Gareth Bellis, defending, said that Williams struggles with alcohol addiction, by which much of his offending is influenced by. Mr Bellis said that intentional strangulation offences often happen in domestic relationships - used by defendants to show power of their partner. Mr Bellis said in this instance, Williams was stopping the police officer from getting to his partner, and stopping Miss Jones committing any further offences.

Mr Bellis said while being a "nasty incident", it was one more akin to an assault on an emergency worker than intentional strangulation. 

Judge Niclas Parry sentenced Williams to 10 months imprisonment. 

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Troy Williams, said: “This was a violent attack on a police officer who was responding to a report concerning the welfare of a child.

“We welcome this sentence as a reflection that such behaviour towards officers will not be tolerated.

“We will continue to take firm action against those who attack officers and put them in danger through violent behaviour.”