Police assaulter avoids jail – officers say sentence is 'laughable'

They reacted to the “disappointing” sentence of Angelina Iggleden, of Edinburgh Road, St Leonards after she pleaded guilty to three counts of common assault of an emergency worker.

The Police Federation, the organisation which represents rank and file officers, said that on the evening of Saturday, October 22, PC Ben Hall and PC Luke Williams were patrolling in Eastbourne when they came across Iggleden in a distressed state.

When the officers approached her, Iggleden pushed and kicked them, they said.

She was arrested before assaulting a third officer in a police van.

The 30-year-old was handed an 18-month conditional discharge at Hastings Magistrates Court and fined £85 with a surcharge of £26. The magistrate ruled the officers were not to be given compensation as the bench felt it was not appropriate since they were there to assist a vulnerable woman.

Hastings Magistrates Court

PC Hall said of the court decision: “It is completely disheartening. You try to help people at their worst times and if the courts are deeming it acceptable for us to be assaulted with no meaningful repercussions people feel they can get away with it.

“PC Williams and I were on patrol in Eastbourne town centre one night when we were flagged down by security staff at a pub. They said, ‘There’s a lady up the road who’s screaming and shouting. Could you go and have a chat with her?

“We walked up to her and I said, ‘Hi, how’s it going?’ “This alone led to both of us being assaulted.”

PC Williams said: “I go home, take my uniform off and the first question I get from my wife is, ‘How was work?’. Do I turn around and say, ‘I got assaulted again today’?”

Sussex Police Federation Secretary Andy Standing said: “I am absolutely appalled at the conclusion of this court, which in effect seems to send the message that it is an acceptable part of a police officer’s job to be assaulted while helping vulnerable people.

“Nobody should expect to come to work and be assaulted by anyone. I want to be clear, my disappointment is not about officers not receiving compensation, it’s the court’s rationale which sets a dangerous precedent.”

Miss Iggleden told The Argus she completely regretted the incident and has written "a heartfelt apology". She said that it had been a one-off incident that happened in a particularly difficult moment in her life.