Anthony Kelly jailed for assault of police officer in Birkenhead, Wirral

We are welcoming the sentencing of a man to prison for assaulting a police officer, following an incident in Birkenhead last July.

28-year-old Anthony Kelly, of no fixed abode but from Walton, Liverpool was sentenced earlier this week at Liverpool Crown Court. He received a total of seven months in prison: four months for assaulting an emergency worker plus three months for breaching a suspended sentence.

At around 10.45pm on Friday 10 July, an officer was alerted by staff at the Wine Lodge on Exmouth Street to a man arguing with staff at the location. He was reportedly arguing with staff and behaving aggressively. The man was asked to leave the area but refused and became abusive. He was detained and made attempts to bite and damage the fingers of the officer, resulting in minor injuries.

The man was eventually arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly and assaulting an emergency worker, and was later charged.

Speaking after the sentence, Wirral Community Policing Inspector Tom Welch said: "It is pleasing to see Anthony Kelly dealt with by the courts for his threatening, abusive and violent behaviour last July, at a time when such businesses were open, working hard to operate safely and in need of all our support.

"Our officers and staff put their own lives and personal safety on the line every day in order to keep us all safe but they should never have to tolerate or accept physical violence when carrying out their duties.
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"I’m sure the vast majority of law-abiding members of the public would agree that assaults on police officers or other emergency workers are totally unacceptable.

"Not only do they have a massive impact on the officers themselves but also on their families and work colleagues and, as with all acts of violence, we will fully investigate and prosecute offenders where appropriate. The extra demand such incidents places on emergency services is also a concern at such a busy time for the NHS.

"My message to those who carry out violence against police is this: please remember, one day you or your families may need our help too."