Kings Langley man jailed after police suffer knife injuries while responding to report of 'woman screaming'

A 20-year-old man from Kings Langley has been jailed for 14 months following an incident where two Hertfordshire Police sustained knife injuries.

Jack Watts was sentenced at Luton Crown Court on Friday (February 24), having pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article, section 20 GBH and assault occasioning actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing.

In the early hours of January 10, police attended a call reporting that a woman could be heard screaming in the Old Town area.

Officers located two women, with one who appeared to be having a medical episode. As the two officers assisted her, Watts approached and became aggressive and obstructive when asked to leave.

He continued to obstruct the officers and was subsequently detained. There was a struggle, during which two officers were injured by an unsheathed knife which was protruding from Watts’ jacket pocket.

One officer had a wound on his forearm, while the second was left with slashes to his fingers.

Watts was taken into custody before being charged and remanded. He pleaded guilty to all three charges at Hatfield Magistrates’ Court on January 11 and was ordered to pay £200 in compensation.

Detective Sergeant Yolanda Morales-Willis, from the Dacorum Local Crime Unit, said: “This was a very distressing incident for the officers involved, who were simply trying to assist a woman who needed their help.”

She added: “Thankfully they weren’t seriously injured, but this is just one example of how officers put themselves in harms way every single day to help protect our local communities.

“I am pleased that Watts pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and will now be spending time behind bars.”