Molotov cocktail police attacker jailed for life

A antheral who tried to execution a constabulary serviceman portion equipped with Molotov cocktails has been jailed for beingness with a minimum word of 22 years.

Alexander Dighton, 28 from Pontyclun, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was wearing assemblage armour erstwhile helium carried retired the onslaught extracurricular Talbot Green constabulary presumption successful January.

Counter panic constabulary said Dighton was interviewed by officers a twelvemonth earlier the attack, but was believed not to beryllium a threat.

Dighton injured respective officers and admitted trying to execution a constabulary serviceman with a weapon and was sentenced astatine the Old Bailey successful London.

Due to the clip Dighton spent connected remand helium volition walk a minimum word of 21 years and 235 days earlier helium tin beryllium considered for parole.

The tribunal heard helium was besides made taxable of violent notification requirements for 30 years.

Judge Mark Lucraft KC said the crimes committed by Dighton "satisfies each the offences person violent connections."

"You targeted the constabulary arsenic a keystone of authorities power," helium added.

He added Dighton had wanted to marque a connection that the authorities had failed successful its duties to uphold instrumentality and bid and his onslaught had progressive "significant planning" with the intent of "serious violence".

"I enactment your online enactment shows expanding fixation connected issues similar diversity, paedophilia, immigration, anti-Islamic sentiment and dissatisfaction with the British government," helium added.

Frank Ferguson, caput of CPS peculiar transgression and antagonistic coercion division, said: "By his ain admittance helium wanted to instrumentality the beingness of a constabulary officer, to origin harm and spill blood."

Dighton arrived astatine Talbot Green constabulary presumption successful January equipped with a hatchet, a rod and Molotov cocktails.

Brandishing his weapons, helium told PC Stephanie Fleming, who confronted him: "I'm fed up, I'm done."

Dighton threw 1 Molotov cocktail astatine a constabulary van, but it failed to ignite, truthful helium poured petrol onto different and acceptable it alight.

He past utilized a agelong woody rod to smash the van's windows.

Dighton was tasered and sprayed with Pava spray, but it had nary effect.

He attacked Sgt Richard Coleman successful the presumption foyer, hitting him successful the caput with the pole, and past punched Det Con Joshua Emlyn.

At this constituent 3 constabulary officers attempted to restrain Dighton, and helium stabbed Det Con Jack Cotton successful the leg, wounding him.

Dighton represented himself successful tribunal astatine a erstwhile proceeding and admitted attempted execution with a knife, attempted arson, attacking 2 different constabulary officers, and threatening a 3rd - pleading blameworthy to a full of 11 charges.

Two officers were treated successful infirmary for their injuries.

The justice told the Old Bailey connected Friday the officers were successful a authorities of daze and immoderate thought they were going to die.

Before sentencing, Ch Supt Stephen Jones, of South Wales Police, said the officers were doing "remarkably well", but said it has had a "profound impact" connected their families.

"Ultimately officers are nationalist servants, but they're besides fathers, mothers, wives and husbands and sons and daughters, and the interaction connected their families has been truly heartfelt," helium said.

"We look these perils, and rather often unexpectedly", helium said.

He said the officers had to respond to a "committed, lone idiosyncratic who was exceptionally aggressive".

After, Ch Supt Jones insisted Talbot Green remained a "very harmless and quiescent area" but acknowledged it had experienced 2 abstracted large incidents wrong a fewer weeks of each other.

"We person accrued patrols and accrued the fig of officers moving retired of Talbot Green to support the community," helium added.

At a erstwhile tribunal proceeding Dighton told the judge, Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb: "Authority is not my occupation - but the usage of authorization that I person seen since I was 15, that is my problem."

Dighton was motivated by anti-government ideology, and erstwhile helium was arrested helium said: "I've been damned from birth."

Police judge Dighton began readying his onslaught a period earlier the incident.

When his location successful Pontyclun, was searched journals containing anti-immigrant ideologies and a instrumentality to "traditional" nine were found.

Dighton was already known to counter-terrorism constabulary successful Wales, helium was interviewed by officers a twelvemonth earlier the attack.

He was referred to the Prevent, a antagonistic extremism programme successful January 2024, by his sister wherever officers carried retired a 3 week "detailed assessment" of Dighton.

Prosecutor Nicholas Hearn said she had stated helium was "vulnerable arsenic helium has gone missing antecedently and has attempted suicide."

Det Supt Andrew Williams of Counter Terrorism Policing Wales said: "He was referred to america pursuing concerns astir his anti-immigration stance, his anti-Islam stance and his wide racist views."

He said Dighton was interviewed "at length" and "due-diligence checks" were carried retired to marque definite officers "knew astir him and his history".

He said Dighton "did not acceptable the criteria" to beryllium included connected the Prevent programme.

"There was nary accusation astatine each from that appraisal oregon from that referral that would springiness immoderate denotation whatsoever that Alexander Dighton would spell on, a twelvemonth later, to perpetrate an onslaught of this nature," Det Supt Williams said.

He said helium believed the archetypal appraisal of Dighton was correct.

"I americium precise assured successful the appraisal and skills of those officers and enactment them wholly successful the decisions they undertook," helium said.

Asked if helium was satisfied Dighton was de-radicalised, oregon did not contiguous a threat, Det Supt Williams said: "I americium blessed that's the case, yes."

Dighton antecedently pleaded blameworthy to attempted arson and attempting to execution Det Con Jack Cotton.

He besides admitted assaulting Sgt Richard Coleman, threatening PC Stephanie Fleming, assaulting Det Con Joshua Emlyn, having an adapted woody rod arsenic a weapon, having a knife, having a hatchet, damaging a constabulary van, and damaging a 2nd constabulary van.