Man Threw Female Officer Face-First Into Road As He Choked Her Colleague: 3 Years Detention

Man jailed for choking one female officer and breaking another’s jaw. 24 months jail for GBH plus 12 months for unrelated offences.

A 20-year-old man has been jailed for a brutal assault that saw one officer suffer a broken jaw and lose several of her teeth, while her colleague was left with cuts and bruises to her face — in what senior police have described as “a stark reminder” of the dangers officers face on duty.

Denon Taylor, formerly of Cort Crescent, Leicester, was sentenced to a total of three years’ detention after being found guilty of grievous bodily harm and non-fatal strangulation. He was also sentenced for separate offences of burglary, theft and failing to surrender.

The incident happened in September 2022 when the two officers responded to reports that individuals were using weapons to damage vehicles in Cort Crescent. As the officers attempted to arrest one suspect at the scene, Taylor stepped in to stop police reaching him and to assist the him in escaping, using violence against the officers.

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In what prosecutors described as a shocking act of aggression, Taylor grabbed one officer in a headlock, choking her by squeezing tightly around her neck. When her colleague stepped in to intervene, Taylor flung her across the road. She landed face-first on the pavement.

The officer who was thrown suffered a broken jaw and a split gum. One of her teeth was lost in the impact, and four more had to be removed later following treatment. Her colleague sustained cuts to her hand and bruising to her face and knee.

Taylor was convicted of Section 20 grievous bodily harm and non-fatal strangulation. He received two years’ detention for the GBH and 18 months for the strangulation, to run concurrently. A further 12 months for burglary will run consecutively. Additional concurrent sentences of nine months for theft and one month for failing to surrender were also imposed.

Temporary Chief Constable David Sandall condemned the violence, saying: “This violent attack on two of our officers while on duty shows the totally unacceptable behaviours officers must confront and the bravery they show to keep people safe. It is utterly unacceptable for any emergency worker to be subjected to violence in the line of duty.”

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