SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies has told Parliament that tougher sentencing powers are needed to protect public servants, after a Bradford police officer had acid thrown in his face.
The Conservative MP said the 20-month sentence imposed on Joseph McAllister, of Flockton Road, Bradford, for the assault on Sergeant Andrew Heald was too lenient.
Mr Davies said it was not the fault of the judge, who was doing his best with the sentencing guidelines.
He said: “Assaults on police officers and other public servants are an aggravating factor when sentencing but there is no guidance given as to how much longer a sentence should be for such an assault.”
Mr Davies said Parliament needed to debate additional sentencing so “public servants are given the protection they deserve.”
He added: “This horrific case is one of the many examples of why we need to get tougher on crime. This man should never have been allowed out of prison early and by doing so he went on to commit further crimes and seriously injure a police officer.”
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