Clacton: Specialist officers secure justice for victim of stalking

An offender convicted of nine offences including dangerous driving, stalking and threatening an off-duty police officer with a hammer has been jailed thanks to a tireless investigation.

Nathan Phillips, 32, was first arrested by our officers on May 1, after he was involved in an incident of domestic violence in Clacton.

During the incident, he punched a woman to her face.

This led to a call to us which resulted in a swift arrest following searches of the nearby area.

While in custody, he assaulted a police officer.

The victim of the domestic assault later provided a statement to us, following support provided by our specialist Domestic Abuse Investigation Team, reporting contact she had received from Phillips after his release on police bail.

This included calls and texts, social media messages, while Phillips would also drive past her house and alert her to his presence.

He would also post handwritten cards through her letterbox.

This unwanted contact continued up until 9 May.

On 9 May in Clacton, Phillips pursued an off-duty officer who had been involved in his earlier arrest.

He followed the officer’s vehicle in his van, before pulling up across him and cutting him off.

After making a series of verbal threats, Phillips got out of his can and used a hammer to strike the officer’s driver-side window.

Other on-duty officers attended and witnessed Phillips with the hammer in his hand.

When they arrested him, Phillips resisted and assaulted an officer.

Phillips, of no fixed address, was later charged with and admitted a litany of offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, stalking, making threats with an offensive weapon, theft, dangerous driving, criminal damage and failing to provide a sample.

At Chelmsford Crown Court, he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, disqualified from driving for three years and made the subject of a ten-year restraining order.

DS Thomas Vickers, of Clacton DAIT, said:

“A number of officers worked around the clock, late into the night, to secure charges for these nine offences.
“An off-duty officer faced the inexcusable actions of Philips, who delivered a barrage of hammer blows to his vehicle.
“He remained at a safe distance to observe and report back to our control room, alerting his colleagues to Phillips’ location and ensuring the suspect would not evade early arrest or put other members of the public at risk.
“DC Debbie Jakeman spoke and dealt with the domestic abuse victim for over three hours.
“She supported her in her change of stance and her providing a statement in support in prosecution.
“House to house and CCTV enquiries by several officers established two further offences to put to the defendant.
“T/DC Devlin and DC Wood completed a two-hour no comment interview covering the offences.
“This was a real team effort showcasing the dedication and perseverance of several teams within Essex Police.”

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