Swift justice served to racially abusive man who spat at police officers

A man who hurled racist abuse and spat at police officers has been served with some swift justice and jailed.

We were called out to reports of an intoxicated man shouting and swearing in a residents’ front garden in Ilkeston Road, Heanor, at about 8pm on Wednesday 18 March.

When officers arrived to arrest Challon Stewart he became abusive and hurled insults at them for about 25 minutes.

Whilst being put into a police van he spat at two officers and continued to spit in his cell inside the vehicle.

Once he arrived at Ripley Police Station, he was racially abusive towards an officer.

Stewart gave a no comment interview when asked about his actions.

The 42-year-old, of no fixed abode, was charged with causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress towards a police officer, and two counts of assaulting a police officer.

One of the attacked officers provided a victim personal statement, which read in part: “Nobody has the right or authority to assault me such as Stewart has done on this occasion and I should not be subject to this when i come to work.

“This is the first time I have ever been assaulted whilst on duty. This has highlighted the elements that I face every day as a police officer and will continue to do so throughout my career.

“Even though my job expects me to deal with dangerous individuals on a daily basis, I should not be expected to be assaulted whilst performing my duties.”

Another officer, who was also a victim, added: “I am proud of my heritage and to be a police officer and that is why I refuse to remove myself from my duties when I am abused as it is the only thing I feel I have control over in such moments of torment and abuse.

“The distress and hurt I feel does not leave after the incident is over, I continue to have to live with the abuse that I receive and remind myself that I am no lesser than anyone else and that I don’t deserve to be alienated, humiliated and degraded.”  

Stewart pleaded guilty to all charges and was jailed for three months during a sentencing hearing at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court on Friday 20 March.

He was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to each of the three officers he targeted.

Inspector Mat Winterbottom, of the Amber Valley Local Policing Unit, said: “Stewart’s actions were nothing short of disgraceful.

“This is a prime example of the type of abuse that, unfortunately, officers on the front-line have to face all too often whilst simply trying to do their jobs and serve our communities.

“Violence and racist abuse towards our officers will not be tolerated.

“We are pleased to see that Stewart has been served with some swift justice, having been jailed just two days after the offence.”