A Wrexham man received a 26 week jail sentence for theft and assaulting a police officer in Blackburn.
Rhian Jackson, the prosecutor, told the court Dyer stole from Go Outdoors in Blackburn on June 25, 2023. He stole clothes worth £440 total. Anne Wright, a police officer, saw Dyer escaping and tried to stop him.
Her hand got stuck in the stolen clothes. Dyer pulled away, injuring her hand, breaking a finger and a tendon. Wright went to the hospital for surgery and missed six months of work. Her fingers are now permanently disfigured.
Dyer is originally from Blackburn and has many prior theft offenses, including over 30 theft convictions. Stephen Edwards defended Dyer in court, stating Dyer apologizes to the officer and regrets her hand injuries.
Edwards argued the assault was reckless, not intentional. He explained the officer grabbed the coats as Dyer ran, and her fingers got caught. He added Dyer came to Wrexham for his partner but will return to Blackburn after his release.
Dyer received a 26-week jail sentence and will have 12 months of supervision after prison. He must also pay £200 to Ms. Wright as injury compensation.