A POWYS man charged with assaulting nine separate police officers will be sentenced at the crown court next month.

Jonathan Corrington punched, bit and spat in the faces of multiple officers at three different locations following his arrest on May 19.

The 21-year-old, from Brecon, was initially arrested after police were called to deal with reports that a male had assaulted a female at Ystradgynlais Bus Station on the afternoon of May 19. That led to a series of events which led to a total of nine different Dyfed Powys Police officers being assaulted by Corrington, including at the original scene, as well as at Morriston Hospital in Swansea and also at Brecon Police Station where he was eventually detained.

Corrington, of Little Free Street, Brecon, had initially been charged with 13 separate assaults on emergency workers when he appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on May 21.

On that occasion he pleaded guilty to nine assaults on police officers and had been due to be sentenced at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates' Court last Friday, June 17. However, magistrates deemed their sentencing powers insufficient and instead committed the case to Merthyr Crown Court, where Corrington will be sentenced on Friday, July 1.

The officers Corrington assaulted over May 19 and 20 were Sergeants John Cross and Andrew Rogers and PCs Matthew Humphreys, Sara Richards, Carwyn Evans, Nick Jenkins, Matthew Owen, Adam Jones and Andrew Greensmith.

Sergeant Cross and PCs Humphreys, Richards and Evans were attacked at the scene of the original offence in Ystradgynlais. PCs Jenkins and Owen suffered assaults at the hospital in Swansea, while Sergeant Rogers and PCs Jones and Greensmith were assaulted at Brecon Police Station.

Dyfed Powys Police Chief Inspector Jacqui Lovatt said: “Officers responded to reports of an assault at the bus station in Ystradgynlais.

“Jonathan Corrington had allegedly assaulted a female. Upon his arrest he became violently aggressive and assaulted officers, punching them to face, biting them and spitting in their faces.

“He assaulted further officers, with four in total at the scene. Others attended to assist. He was conveyed to Morriston Hospital where he further assaulted officers, as well as a hospital security guard. He was described as spitting at and biting them.

“He was then returned to Brecon Police Station where he assaulted additional police officers. In total, three required medical treatment at hospital.”

Closure Order

Corrington made an additional court appearance in Llandrindod Wells this week in relation to a separate matter. Magistrates sitting in the spa town on Wednesday, June 22, granted a closure order brought on behalf of Dyfed Powys Police in relation to anti-social behaviour at Corrington’s Little Free Street home.

A closure order allows police to ban visitors from attending a property that is associated with offensive, anti-social or criminal behaviour, and where a severe nuisance is deemed to be occurring regularly to the detriment of other residents and the local community.

Prosecutor Nia Jones said there was “extensive evidence” to suggest that people attending Corrington’s home were likely to engage in disorderly or criminal behaviour.

“Multiple witness statements have described late parties, drink and drugs,” said Ms Jones.

“There have been crime reports, phonecalls to police, lots of criminal behaviour. There have also been three child abduction warning notices issued to Mr Corrington, who doesn’t seem to understand the seriousness of it.

“We feel the order is necessary to give residents some rest bite and to assess Mr Corrington, who might be quite vulnerable.”

Gareth Walters, representing Corrington, said: “The order is uncontested. He understands now the order means people have to be told they can’t come in.

“This is a case of friends bring friends to his home. He is quite a vulnerable man, he can’t say no to people, he likes to have company.”

Magistrates granted the order, which will come into force for an initial period of three months.