Credit: Abaas Khalil
A Huddersfield man has appeared in court today charged with assault on two police officers. James Ramsden, aged 39, who lives at Cambridge Hotel, Huddersfield had pleaded guilty before the trial had taken place at Huddersfield Magistrates Court.
He was taken into custody on the 9th of November last year for assaulting two police officers, PC Brickwood from Kirklees Police and PC Hook from West Yorkshire Police. The altercation happened on Ellis Court, Dewsbury after complaints emerged in the local area. Ramsden was said to have suffered from mental episodes which had worsened upon the arrival of police.
PC Brickwood gave an account of the issue as he was trying to engage in verbal cooperation, before the incident happened. Brickwood was adjacent to Ramsden’s head while they were restraining him. Ramsden proceeded to headbutt his leg and no injuries had occurred.
PC Hook also gave an account stating that his colleagues were restraining Ramsden when he began kicking out of the leg restraints that were placed on him. In that flurry of kicks, Hook was kneed in the genitals. He gave an audible reaction to the encounter saying he felt a long lasting pain in that vulnerable area.
Ramsden gave no comment to questioning when in police custody, but when the case went to trial, he claimed police used excessive force for his arrest. Footage of the arrest was played in court through various police cameras, showing Ramsden’s discomfort with the arrest while facial and leg restraints were placed on him. In addition to this was the assault on the emergency workers while he was restrained.
Prior to this offence Ramsden has had previous convictions of assaulting emergency workers, robbery, possession of drugs as well as drink driving. The defendant’s solicitor pointed out how he had meetings with psychiatrists and changed his medications prior to his trial. He also suffered an attack from a group of individuals leaving his leg and skull fractured a month after his arrest.
Ramsden was charged with an uplifted conditional discharge of 12 months due to his assault of the police officers. He was also charged £276 including £100 compensation for PC Hook and £50 for PC Brickwood