Ipswich – Man convicted of assaulting police officers and road worker

A 32-year-old man from Ipswich has appeared at court, charged with a number of offences including assaults on police officers, assaulting a road worker and racially aggravated harassment of another road worker.

The incident occurred at around 1.55am on Wednesday 8 October on Handford Road in Ipswich, where police were called to reports that a road worker had been punched on the chin and another road worker had been subjected to racially aggravated abuse.

The worker who was punched was fortunately uninjured following the attack.

Officers arrived at the scene within a matter of minutes and a suspect was located nearby in Yarmouth Road shortly afterwards.

Whilst detaining the suspect four officers were assaulted, including by being bitten and spat at, kicked in the groin, and having an arm twisted. The officer who was bitten required treatment at hospital following the incident.

Another officer was spat at whilst the suspect was transported to custody and a sixth officer was kicked at Martlesham Police Investigation Centre.

Kieron Wright, of Fonnereau Road, was subsequently charged with eight offences as follows: six counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker; one count of assault by beating; and one count of using racially aggravated or abusive words with intent to cause harassment, alarm, or distress.

Wright appeared before magistrates on Thursday 9 October, where he pleaded guilty to all eight charges and was granted bail pending a sentencing hearing at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on Friday 7 November.

A separate incident occurred the day prior to Wright’s offences (Tuesday 7 October) along the same stretch of roadworks in Handford Road, where police were called at just before 12.15am to reports that a Ford Mustang had contravened the road closure. This caused a number of road workers to have to jump out of the way of the vehicle.

Officers attended and commenced a search of the area for the car, locating it around 10 minutes later on the A12 southbound near Capel St Mary. The driver stopped for police when directed to do so and was subsequently reported for careless driving.

Chief Inspector Andy Watkins, Local Policing Commander for South Suffolk, said: “Both of these incidents are examples of people going about their work being subjected to unprovoked violence or unnecessary risks.

“Road workers frequently have to deal with verbal abuse which is unacceptable, but being punched, subjected to racial abuse and having to jump out of the way of cars is taking things to another level. For people along the same stretch of road to be involved in two incidents on successive nights is very alarming.

“Assaults on police officers is also something we are experiencing far too frequently and for six officers to be assaulted by one individual in the course of one incident is a particularly extreme case.

“The officers displayed great professionalism in dealing with this individual and at least he has had the decency to admit the offences at court, where it is recorded that he did show some remorse for his actions.”

Paul Feuer, Project Manager at Tarmac – the company undertaking the works on behalf of M Group and Suffolk Highways – said: “I would like to thank Suffolk Police for their prompt action in both these cases and I wish the officers who were injured a speedy recovery. Abuse of road workers is at an all-time high and will not be tolerated.”