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Man jailed for 6 months for assaulting emergency worker trying to help him

The behaviour of a man who racially abused a police officer who went to his aid has been described as “outrageous” by a judge.

John Pickering, 52, subjected the officer to a torrent of abuse outside Central Police Station in Nottingham city centre, resulting in his arrest.

He continued the abuse while being transported into custody in a police van. This included using racist and homophobic language, making threats, and spitting.

Upon arriving at Nottingham Custody Suite, where his detention was authorised, Pickering kicked another officer, causing him pain.

He was subsequently charged in relation to the incidents, which took place in the early hours of 23 May last year.

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Pickering went on to plead guilty to racially aggravated intentional harassment, assaulting an emergency worker, and disorderly behaviour.

He appeared at Nottingham Crown Court via video link on Tuesday (22 October) and was given a six-month prison sentence.

The sentence will run consecutively to a previous prison sentence handed to him at Teesside Crown Court in August, after he admitted being in charge of two dogs dangerously out of control, causing injury.

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Nottingham Crown Court
© westbridgfordwire.com

During this latest sentencing hearing, the judge heard Pickering had travelled down from the north-east in search of his step-mother, who he believed was in poor health.

Having been unable to locate her address, he went to Central Police Station and used the external telephone box to speak to officers.

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© Nottinghamshire Police

The line then went dead, so two officers came outside the station to see what help he needed. When advised the matter was not a 999 emergency, he began swearing at the officers.

Moments later, they saw Pickering walk out into the road, putting himself in danger. This prompted the officers to approach him again, with Pickering again swearing at them.

He challenged one of the officers to a fight and was subsequently arrested for committing a public order offence.

The torrent of racist abuse took place as he was being detained and taken into custody.
Prosecutor Tom Cleeve told the court his behaviour was “extremely volatile” and that his actions had caused the officers “harassment, alarm, and distress”.

One of the officers said in his witness statement: “This incident has left me feeling disappointed and upset that this male stated these things in my line of duty.

“When I took my oath as a Police Constable to protect and serve members of the public, I did not expect to be treated in a way like this.”

James Turner KC, mitigating on Pickering’s behalf, said his client had been suffering with his mental health on the morning in question and now felt “horrified” at his behaviour.

Recorder James Bide-Thomas said he accepted Pickering had been experiencing a “parlous mental health situation” at the time the offences were committed. However, he added that a custodial sentence was inevitable as Pickering had launched “what can only be described as the most outrageous tirade of racist abuse” together with the use of homophobic language.

Chief Inspector Craig Berry, Nottinghamshire Police’s tactical lead for hate crime, welcomed the sentencing. He said:
“Police officers and colleagues from other emergency services work hard, day in and day out, to help and protect the communities they serve.

“It simply shouldn’t be considered part of their job to be assaulted or abused.

“Nottinghamshire Police and its partner services will not tolerate assaults on emergency workers and take a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of hate crime. We take reports of this nature extremely seriously and will take robust action against anyone who engages in such abhorrent behaviour.”

The sentencing comes just days after Nottinghamshire Police teamed up with Nottingham Forest to make a rallying call for people to call out hate crime in all its forms as part of an annual national awareness campaign.

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