Man jailed for more than seven years after assaulting a police officer

A man has been jailed for more than seven years after gouging the eye of a police officer after being detained for driving under the influence.

James Wilson, 33 of Albert Road, Hanham, was found guilty by a jury of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm at Bristol Crown Court on Monday 22 August.

He was also convicted of assaulting an emergency worker, driving while unfit through drink or drugs, failing to provide a specimen of breath and driving without insurance.

On Wednesday 22 December last year, police were called at around 5pm after a black BMW crashed into multiple parked cars on Lulworth Crescent, in Emersons Green, with Wilson seen exiting the driver’s side door.

PC Luke Watson attended shortly after and found Wilson at the scene, claiming he ‘found his car like that’. He was placed in the back of the police car awaiting a breathalyser test.

In an attempt to escape, the offender attempted to gouge PC Watson’s eye, but luckily officers arrived in time to pull Wilson off their colleague.

In the process, PC Craig Waters was also spat at. He then refused to give a sample when he was taken into custody.

He was handed a prison sentence of seven years and four months after his actions led to PC Watson being signed off work for more than two weeks with severe swelling and bruising around his right eye.

Investigating officer PC Alex Higham, said: “The sentence reflects the severity of the crime and how seriously the courts take these matters. Violence against anyone will not be tolerated, especially emergency workers who are there to protect and serve the public.

“PC Watson was very lucky not to lose his eye or sustain any permanent damage, which could have been the case if not for the intervention of his two colleagues.”