Two district councillors who stopped a late-night attack on a police officer by a drunken man have led the condemnation of the court sentence.
Gary Taylor and Jack McLean say 51-year-old Jonathan Fox should have been jailed.
Instead, Fox, who was found guilty at trial after denying assaulting Pc Karl Cinavas, was fined £500.
Coun Taylor said: “I thought he would be in prison for Christmas at least because of the seriousness of the offence. It could have been more serious if we hadn’t got involved.”
And Coun McLean said: “The result seemed a measly sum for his animalistic attack. Until hearing the sentence, I honestly didn’t realise anything else would have been on the table [other than a jail term].”
The assault happened in Bridge Street, Spalding, at 10.20pm on May 5 this year. Pc Cinavas had been sent to deal with Fox who was shouting verbal abuse at a female South Holland District Council officer assisting at the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner election count.
Fox was pepper sprayed but it failed to subdue the drunk and disorderly Spalding man, who knocked Pc Cinavas to the floor. The police officer lost his hat and Fox started repeatedly punching him.
The two councillors then rushed across the road to prise Fox off.
Coun Taylor was hit in the face and back during the ensuing melee, which included two other people with Fox.
Jon Hassall, chairman of staff association Lincolnshire Police Federation, agreed the sentence was too lenient.
“It doesn’t seem like the magistrates did enough to exercise their powers in this case,” he said. “That level of assault ought to end in a custodial sentence.”
He added: “Any assault on police is an assault on society.
“A big thanks to the two councillors who went to help out. I’m hugely grateful that there are members of society that will go to help police.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones, who said: “I would like to see a specific offence of assaulting a 999 person or volunteer carrying out their business of serving the public carrying a larger, deterrent sentence.”
He added: “Once again we see the sad outcome of alcohol-fuelled violence in our community.
“I wish to thank councillors Gary Taylor and Jack McLean for assisting PC Cinavas in dealing with a situation that escalated quickly.
“I know councils and police in Lincolnshire remain committed to tackling issues of alcohol abuse and violent crime and I am wholeheartedly behind them.”
The whole experience – both in the street and at Boston Magistrates’ Court this month – was a real eye-opener for Coun Taylor, who is the council’s portfolio holder for community safety.
He said fellow witnesses in court found it such an intimidating experience that he fears that they would choose not to go through it again in future.
“The whole process has taken a lot of time and expense,” Coun Taylor said. “It was a mistake to close the court in Spalding and the police cells. And I think we do need to look at offering alternatives to witnesses, such as a video link.
“I plan to raise my observations with MP John Hayes and Secretary of State for Justice Liz Truss – they need to know.
“If improvements to the system can be brought about because of this case it will have been worthwhile.”
Fox, of Stonegate, was also ordered to pay £150 compensation, £50 victim surcharge and Crown Prosecution Service costs of £620. He received no separate penalty for being disorderly while drunk.
