Man jailed for attacking two police officers

A court heard how two female police officers both feared for their lives when a man assaulted them in a hotel room.

Xander Butler, 23, of Willoughby Road, Ipswich, was jailed for 16 months at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to intentional strangulation, assault by beating of an emergency worker and criminal damage.

The hearing was told two female officers had gone to a hotel in Capel St Mary on 29 July after reports of a man causing disruption.

In a victim impact statement, one of the officers wrote: "Not only was I being assaulted myself, but I was forced to watch as my colleague was also assaulted, leaving me feeling completely helpless."

Her statement continued: "During the incident I was shoved against a wall with such force that it cut my arm. I was strangled and thrown to the floor."

The court heard how Butler had smashed a window and caused significant damage inside his hotel room.

The officers knocked on Butler's door and he rushed at one of them, throwing her into a wall and placing an arm around her neck.

As the second officer tried to intervene, Butler grabbed her, wrapped an arm around her neck, restricting her breathing, and punched her in the face.

She told investigators she had been struck four or five times.

Butler was tasered by the same officers before being detained and arrested.

One of the officers suffered facial swelling, bruising, jaw pain and a head injury, which needed hospital assessment and X-rays. Her colleague suffered a cut to her arm.

The victim impact statement continued: "I do not think I will ever be able to fully describe how I felt in that moment. I was terrified. I genuinely feared for my life.

"As the attack unfolded, my thoughts immediately turned to my family and loved ones.

"I thought about the possibility that I might never see them again and the devastating impact that would have on those I could have left behind.

"No-one should go to work believing there is a chance they may not come home at the end of their shift."

Her colleague wrote: "I can still see it happening. One moment I was doing my job, and the next he had his arm around my neck, punching me repeatedly in the face.

"It happened so quickly there was no time to process it.

"In that moment, I genuinely believed he was not going to stop.

"I remember thinking that if me and my colleague could not find a way to stop him, he could seriously hurt or even kill one of us."

Sgt Alasdair Nicol, from the force's south west response team, said: "This was one of the worst assaults on police officers I have seen.

"It is important to remember police officers are normal people doing the abnormal."

He added: "Butler's abhorrent actions against two of my colleagues have again highlighted the unacceptable levels of violence that officers around the country are facing on a daily basis."

A further count of both intentional strangulation and of assault by beating of an emergency worker were left on file after Butler pleaded not guilty to these offences.

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