Hartlepool police attacker jailed again after assaulting officers who escorted him to hospital

Gareth Bennet Evans was locked up in September after pleading guilty to assaulting four officers near his Hartlepool home just 24 hours earlier.

Now he has received a separate prison sentence from magistrates after admitting two attacks on two police officers earlier in the year on January 12.

Evans, who turns 44 on December 11 and who lives in Harcourt Street, off Duke Street, was imprisoned for 47 days after also pleading guilty to assaulting a woman in Hartlepool and using violence to secure entry into premises on January 11.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court was told that the January incidents began when Evans forcibly grabbed a woman by the wrists before later smashing his way into her Hartlepool home.

Police were called and Evans kicked two officers at the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton, at around 4am after they escorted him there for treatment to a head wound.

Cleveland Police have reacted to Evans’ sentencing by stating that attacks on emergency service will not be tolerated.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Graham said: “It is entirely unacceptable that any emergency service workers have to put up with being assaulted when they go to work and put their lives on the line to protect others.

"For every officer injured, that’s someone else that they may not be able to protect and this could have a detrimental impact on our local communities.

“We have seen incidents where officers have been spat at, bitten, punched and kicked.

"It will not be tolerated and anyone who thinks it is ok to assault any emergency service workers in this way will be put before the courts wherever possible.”

In the later incident, in which Evans was jailed on September 1 for 24 weeks by the same court, he reportedly hit one of the officers in the face with a metal pole and punched the other three in the head, face and body after they were called to his home address at around 12.50am on August 31.

One of his victims was female.

Support your Mail and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day.

With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.