Man who attacked officers outside police station had been referred to Prevent

Yahoo

17 hours ago

A man armed with Molotov cocktails and a hatchet who attacked officers outside a South Wales police station had been referred to the Prevent anti-terrorism programme a year earlier by his sister, a court heard.
Alexander Dighton, 28, knocked one officer unconscious and stabbed another in the leg when he launched an attack on Talbot Green Police Station in Rhondda Cynon Taf on January 31.
In a police interview, Dighton, of Pontyclun, said he did not consider the scope of damage, 'merely that blood had to be spilt'.
He previously pleaded guilty to 10 charges relating to the incident.
At a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, Judge Mark Lucraft KC heard Dighton had been referred to the anti-terrorism programme Prevent a year before the incident.
Prosecutor Nicholas Hearn said: 'On January 5 2024, the defendant was reported to Prevent by his sister, who stated her brother holds racist and anti-Muslim views and is likely to be involved with incel groups.
'She also stated that he is vulnerable as he has gone missing previously and has attempted suicide.'
The incel movement is made up of people who find themselves unsuccessful in relationships, often harbouring extreme and misogynistic views.
On the night of the attack, Dighton arrived at the police station shortly before 7pm, where he lit a petrol bomb and threw it at a police van.
When that failed to ignite, he attempted to start a fire by pouring lighter fluid over the van before smashing the windows of two vehicles using a pole.
When confronted by officers, Dighton said: 'I'm fed up, I'm done,' before launching his attack.
Attempts to restrain him using a Taser were unsuccessful because of the body armour he was wearing.
He swung a pole at one officer, punched one in the head and stabbed another in the thigh, narrowly missing his femoral artery.
Two of the three injured officers were taken to hospital for treatment.
The court also heard Dighton had recently been involved in an altercation with his neighbour, during which he used a homophobic slur.
A week before the incident, he had received a letter from the police telling him to attend a police station to provide biometric samples in relation to the alleged public order offence.
In a police interview after the attack on the police station, he said that he expected officers to go to his home to attempt to arrest him for not providing a sample.
Mr Hearn said: 'He intended to attack the police officers who attended with a shovel, which he had sharpened for that purpose, and that his intention at that time was to kill any police officers who attended.
'No officers in fact attended the defendant's address.'
During the interview, he also said his intention was to let it be known that 'his tolerance for the government had come to an end' by causing as much damage as possible.
Mr Hearn said: '(Dighton) said that he had 'teetered' as to whether he wanted to kill someone and had not been 'fully decided'.'
Dighton, representing himself in court, spoke about violence being 'justified' against the state.
He referred to grooming gangs and 'Boris Johnson having parties while the country is locked down' during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The defendant added: 'People have such a short memory, it is terrible. 'I will be dead before I leave prison anyway, so that doesn't bother me.'
The hearing continues.