ANOTHER week and another example of judges letting the public and more importantly a criminal’s victim - or victims in this case - down once again…
Bradley Burgin became the latest cop attacker to be jailed last week having evaded police for months following an assault on two female officers in Cudworth on November 3 of last year.
He was stopped for driving a vehicle that had no MOT but when in the back of the police car he provided false details.
As the officers opened the door to subsequently handcuff him, the 27-year-old lunged towards them - knocking them both down to the floor before fleeing.
On December 15, he was once again spotted driving recklessly in Cudworth.
He failed to stop for officers and a pursuit commenced which saw Burgin reach speeds of 80mph in a Land Rover Discovery.
CCTV, a police car’s dash-cam and body-worn video ensured Burgin was held responsible for his actions while behind the wheel, but it wasn’t until March 7 that he was arrested and charged.
It took several more months to secure a conviction before he was handed a paltry 12-month prison term at Sheffield Crown Court last week.
A year’s sentence which, of course, means six months with good behaviour; a baffling, unfair part of the country’s utterly flawed judicial system.
Police statistics obtained via a Freedom of Information request revealed South Yorkshire Police recorded more than 700 assaults on its staff between 2018 and 2023, so bully Burgin’s behaviour isn’t an isolated thing.
Years dominated by Covid-enforced lockdown periods - in 2020 and 2021 - saw lows of 86 and 90 respectively but attacks then rose to 198 in 2022 alone.
South Yorkshire Police Federation chair Steve Kent said the crime should automatically come with a jail term, while Barnsley’s District Commander Simon Wanless echoed those thoughts.
I agree - nobody should go to work and come home injured, especially so in this case when it involves someone whose track record is clearly contemptible.
The force’s charge rate for assaults on officers is over 90 per cent - a fantastic figure given what the Chronicle’s recently published about fly-tippers’ conviction statistics - but punishments are being handed out that simply do not befit the crime as is now the norm when criminals are hauled before the courts.
The police face budget cuts and officer numbers remain low so when a frontline staff member’s assaulted, that also adds to the strain, not to mention the knock-on impact on the victim’s confidence or their colleagues’ opinions on the profession.
I’d question - after all the training and working your way up - if it’s really worth it when criminals such as Burgin can easily undo it all and really harm someone’s faith.
Policing is a dangerous job and brave officers are often the ones who put themselves in harm’s way to protect their communities and keep people safe - they deserve to be respected and, at the very least, deserve to hear rightful punishments if they fall foul of a character as despicable as Bradley Burgin.
