A TEENAGER who assaulted a police officer and bit a member of the public who tried to intervene has been sentenced to 180 hours of community service and handed a 12-month probation order for the alcohol-fuelled assault.
Jake Jordan Carter was sentenced in the Royal Court for one count of common assault, one count of grave and criminal assault and one count of resisting arrest.
Crown Advocate Carla Carvalho said that the incident occurred on the evening of 31 August outside the entrance to the Emergency Department at the Hospital.
The court heard that a police officer saw Carter and his partner arguing and attempted to intervene. Carter’s partner went inside the Hospital, but the police officer was still concerned about Carter’s aggressive attitude and ordered him to leave the area.
However, Carter began to shout and swear at her and, as the police officer turned away to contact the control room for back-up, Carter hit her on the back of the head, Advocate Carvalho explained. The police officer grabbed Carter’s wrist to stop herself being assaulted further but Carter took the officer to the ground.
Advocate Carvalho added that a member of the public who witnessed the assault ran over and restrained Carter only for the defendant to bite him on the neck.
Although assaults involving biting usually warrant a custodial sentence, Crown Advocate Carla Carvalho recommended 180 hours’ community service and a 12-month probation order as Carter had the ‘benefit of youth’ and no previous convictions.
Advocate Nicholas Mière, defending, agreed adding that the 18-year-old ‘does accept the gravity of these offences’.
Delivering the court’s sentence, the Bailiff, Sir Timothy Le Cocq, presiding, said: ‘The court has given you this chance and it’s down to you and only you to make this work. If you fail, you will come back here to be dealt with and will have squandered the chance we have given you.’ Sir Timothy also commended the member of the public who came to the aid of the police officer who Carter assaulted.
Jurats Jeremy John Ramsden and David Gareth Hughes were sitting.
