Drug dealer jailed for officer assault

A drug dealer from Cwmbran has received a sentence of more than five-and-a-half years after he attacked a plain-clothed officer who found him in possession of class A and B drugs.

Aaron Bingham, 20, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday 26 July where he pled guilty to two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, two counts of possession with the intent to supply class A drugs – crack cocaine and heroin - and one count of possession of class B drug – cannabis.

Bingham was arrested in Bettws on Friday 2 July by officers conducting a proactive patrol, where he repeatedly assaulted a plain-clothed police officer by punching him to the head.

The officer sustained minor injuries during the assault.

PC Hackney, the officer in the case, said:

“Aaron Bingham was arrested as the result of our proactive policing patrols in Bettws, where he was found to be in possession of heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis.

“When detained by our plain-clothed officers, he repeatedly punched one officer to the head and ripped the t-shirt of another.

 “This is Bingham’s third conviction for drug-related offences, despite his relatively young age. This significant sentence highlights the risks that people can face if they choose to involve themselves in drug possession and supply.

“Class A drug use can have devastating consequences for individuals and communities and can often fuel other forms of criminal behaviour.

“Tackling illegal drug activity is a priority for us at Gwent Police; drugs have no place in our society.

“The support of our communities is vital to helping us tackling this issue. If you have any details of this form of illegal activity in your area, call us on 101 or send us a direct message on Twitter or Facebook. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

He was sentenced to five years and eight months – or 68 months – initially in a young offender’s institution.