A 25-year-old man, identified as Michael Sardes from Tilgate Way, Crawley was sentenced to 32 weeks in prison on 26 July 2023. He faced charges for multiple incidents of violence against police officers in Crawley. The charges included four counts of assaulting an emergency worker and one count of common assault, spanning from June 2022 to March 2023.

The situation escalated on 30 November when police responded to a disturbance at an address in Tilgate Way. During his arrest for potentially breaching the peace, Sardes exhibited aggressive behaviour, including spitting at one officer and biting another at the custody centre.

Sardes appeared in Crawley Magistrates’ Court on 1 December, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, harassment, and criminal damage. Along with the prison sentence, he was also ordered to pay £130 in compensation.

Investigating Officer Tom Webb said: “Michael Sardes made the conscious decision to use violence against emergency workers, and now must face the consequences.

“The sentence imposed by the court reflects that the use of his behaviour against police, paramedics and other emergency workers must not, and will not be accepted.”