Man jailed for breaking officer’s jaw

The court heard how on October 21 last year, a police constable stopped a hired Ford Kuga driven by Tyler McQuarrie in Hornhill Road, Maple Cross.

The male officer, who was single crewed, had been deployed as part of a proactive operation targeting criminals using the county’s road network.

McQuarrie was detained under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, and a quantity of cannabis was found in his pocket. Without warning, he punched the officer with a great deal of force before getting back into the vehicle and driving away.

The officer was left at the side of the road, in shock and bleeding, but despite his injuries he still tried to detain McQuarrie by discharging his Taser. His colleagues arrived within minutes to assist him and X-Rays later showed that he had suffered a broken jaw, eye socket and cheekbone.

McQuarrie was arrested in Luton, Bedfordshire, the following day before being brought into custody and subsequently charged.

At St Albans Crown Court, McQuarrie, 26, of Baxter Road, Watford, admitted to grievous bodily harm, possession with intent to supply both Class A (cocaine) and Class B (cannabis) drugs and possession of Class B drugs (cannabis)

He was sentenced to 23 months for GBH and 29 months for the Class A drugs offences, both of which are to run consecutively. The additional six-month sentence for possession with intent to supply Class B drugs is to run concurrently. There was no separate penalty for the possession of cannabis.

Investigator Sian Smith, from the Three Rivers Criminal Investigation Department, led this investigation. She said: “This was a serious assault on a police officer who was simply carrying out his duties in a professional and respectful manner when he was attacked by McQuarrie without warning.

“The defendant showed zero remorse for his actions and is clearly a violent individual who is a danger to the public. We are pleased that he pled guilty, meaning the officer did not have to endure a trial.

“However our thoughts remain with our colleague, who is still recovering from the incident. He continues to be supported by his team, the constabulary and the Hertfordshire Police Federation, but this case sadly demonstrates the risk that police officers face daily while protecting the public.”

Chair of Hertfordshire Police Federation Luke Mitchell said: “This was a deeply serious and entirely unprovoked assault on this officer while he was carrying out proactive policing duties – the very work he does every single day to protect the public.

“Despite his experience, professionalism and judgement, he was violently attacked in an unprovoked assault, and the force used against him caused significant and lasting injury. Had the blow landed just millimetres differently, we could be speaking about a very different and far more tragic outcome today. Instead, we are talking about an officer whose life has been changed in every respect – physically, mentally, and professionally – as a result of one moment of senseless violence.

“Let me be clear, this is not something that ends today, when the court case concludes – it is something he will carry with him for the rest of his life. No custodial sentence, no matter its length, can ever truly reflect the harm caused in cases like this. Nothing will ever fully compensate for the impact this has had on the officer, his family, and his colleagues. Officers should not be going to work and being assaulted in this way – they should be able to carry out their duties without fear of violence.

“As a Federation, we will continue to support our colleague, his wife and their young family, as well as the wider Hertfordshire policing team, who have been deeply affected by the seriousness of this incident.

“Finally, I want to recognise the professionalism and determination of the investigating team. The outcome of today’s sentencing reflects their hard work, persistence, and commitment to ensuring justice was achieved for our colleague.”