Jail terms for two men after Birmingham police officers assaulted with a bike

Two men have been jailed after West Midlands Police officers were assaulted while using dispersal order powers.

Hamad Gernas, aged 23 and Adam Issa aged 33 were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday (Monday, January 29). 

Gernas was found guilty of three counts of aggravated bodily harm and Issa of two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and possession of cannabis at an earlier hearing.

The pair assaulted four officers who were patrolling Villa Road in Lozells on Tuesday October 24. The officers had been authorised to use dispersal order powers in response to recent concerns over suspicious activity in the area.

Acting on intelligence, one of our officers asked Gernas to provide his details but he became aggressive. A further three officers attempted to calm Gernas down but he remained argumentative.

Issa then appeared at the scene and threw a bicycle at one of our officers which hit the back of his head as well as hitting a second officer on the back. A brave member of the public then intervened and prevented Issa from grabbing a piece of fruit to throw at the officer and with his help we were able to detain him.

During the arrest of Gernas, an officer was punched, another was bitten and a third received a sprained arm. Three of the four officers that were assaulted required hospital for their injuries but thankfully they were not serious. Gernas of Hamilton Road, Birmingham was sentenced to seven months and Issa of no fixed abode was sentenced to six months.  

Chief Inspector Sara Beech from Birmingham Police said: “Four of our officers were assaulted while just trying to do their job, which will not be tolerated. Nobody should face violence and abuse whilst trying to protect the public.

“Assaulting emergency workers is not just about physical visible injuries but also the mental harm the experience causes. I also want to say a huge thank you to the courageous member of the public who stepped in and intervened during the incident. We will bring those to justice who think violence against our officers is acceptable.”

Have-a-go-hero shopkeeper Abdul Guldari, 57, previously said he stepped in to help police because he was "angry when the man threw my fruit'.

The dad-of-six, originally from Afghanistan, leapt into action after trouble flared outside his business, Fruit and Vegetable House. He said: "I was working here when police tried to arrest a man they suspected was a drug dealer.

"The police asked for his ID and what he was doing and he kicked off saying 'why are you asking me this?' He was saying to the cops 'don't touch me or I will punch you'. While this is all happening this man picked up a bike.

"The he started fighting with police too. When I see he took my bowl, this shook me up, one hook and I had him on the floor. I was angry. I helped the police and he went down. More police came and took the men away.

"This is my business, I love my country and I wanted to help the police, help my job and my business. I have run this business for a year now. I have never had this before. People usually have respect and there's no problem."