Man jailed for serious attack on two police officers in Wishaw
A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, followed by two years supervision, after an attack on two police officers which left them with serious injuries.
The officers were assisting a boy around 10pm on Sunday, 14 June, when they were approached by David Dowson in the Greenfield Drive area of Wishaw.
Dowson carried out a violent and unprovoked assault on the constables, leaving one with a serious hand injury and the other with a serious head injury. Both were taken to Wishaw General Hospital for treatment.
He returned to be sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday, 6 May, after being convicted of the two serious assaults last month.
Superintendent Raymond Higgins said: “Our Police officers are there to assist and protect our communities, and the victims involved in this incident were doing exactly that, when they were subjected to a shocking and brutal attack.
“The fact that both officers have recovered and returned to duty after such a traumatic experience is testament to their commitment to the job and keeping our communities safe. The bravery and professionalism they have shown throughout this process is admirable and I would like to thank them for their efforts.
“David Dowson is clearly a very dangerous individual and we welcome today’s sentencing which sends a clear message that violence towards our officers, or anyone within our communities, will not be tolerated in any form.
“Over a number of years there has been an increasing number of reports of assaults on officers and staff. This can cause physical and psychological harm to those who are dedicated public servants and coming under attack should not be part of the job.
“The Chief Constable Iain Livingstone has made it clear that violence against officers and staff is utterly unacceptable and should never be seen as simply part of the job. He has outlined his commitment to reducing the impact violence has on our officers and staff and to introducing measures to improve their safety."
