PCC slams 'damaging' justice system in open letter

The West Mercia police and crime commissioner (PCC) has written an open letter to the Home Secretary claiming the criminal justice system has caused "damage" and was failing victims.

His comments come after a man who assaulted a police officer was released after three months under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme.

Alex Quinn had been jailed in February for three years and 10 months for his part in the assault on PC Ryan Davis in Hereford city centre, which left the officer with several broken bones.

A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with Ryan Davis - his experience was horrific and violence against police officers is completely unacceptable."

They added: "This government inherited prisons in crisis but took tough action to avoid a total collapse of the system, starting with investing £7bn in 14,000 more prison places by 2031.

"We have already opened more than 3,000 prison places since July 2024. That's alongside sentencing reforms to keep the most dangerous behind bars for longer, an historic increase in tagging, and record investment in probation to make our streets safer."

The commisioner, whose patch covers Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, said the officer had been badly injured.

"He suffered a dislocated and broken ankle, a broken lower leg, multiple fractures and facial injuries, including damage to an eye, after being punched, kicked, stamped on and strangled to the point of unconsciousness.

"The physical and psychological impact of this attack will remain with him for life. Yet despite the shocking violence involved, the justice system has failed him."

He continued: "To the public, this is hard to comprehend. When violent offenders are serving only a fraction of their sentence, confidence in the justice system will inevitably be undermined.

"PC Davis didn't just face an injustice from a shortened sentence, but the case was further impacted by significant court delays, with plea negotiations introduced in part to avoid the trial being adjourned until December 2027.

"Victims should not have to accept compromised outcomes because the justice system lacks the capacity to function effectively."

Campion said his concerns were "heightened" by the forthcoming Sentencing Act reforms including "earned progression" towards early release, due to be introduced from the autumn.

He said these proposals could see some offenders become eligible for release after serving as little as a third of their sentence in custody, with the remainder served in the community.

The PCC concluded: "Whilst I recognise the pressure facing the prison estate, it's not good enough and something needs to change.

"Otherwise, there is a real danger that the public will increasingly view sentencing as meaningless if the punishment handed down in court bears little resemblance to the time actually served."

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