A POLICE officer has criticised the decision to free a drug dealer who kicked him so hard, it broke his kneecap. Joseph Lohan was given an 18-month suspended prison term for leaving PC Darren Harris with life-changing injuries – despite previously being warned he faced a "significant" sentence.
PC Harris has to undergo surgery after suffering two fractures to his kneecap, cartilage damage and a meniscus tear when he was attacked by Lohan.
Lohan had kicked the officer in a desperate bid to escape after he had been arrested for dealing heroin in west Hull.
PC Harris, who has been a police officer for ten years, said: "I feel let down by the people that I wouldn't have thought I would be. I am a bit gutted and I think it is quite disgusting, really.
"I was expecting at least a custodial sentence. It doesn't seem to match the severity of the crime and I feel like I have been let down by the judicial system.
"It seems like you are not seen as a victim if you are a police officer."
PC Harris is now considering asking for the sentence to be referred to the Court of Appeal.
The suspended sentence has also been criticised by the Humberside Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers.
Chairman John Blanchard said: "Even as recently as ten years ago, I do not believe that I would be making this statement. Joseph Lohan would be languishing behind bars where he belongs.
"Instead, Lohan is beginning the derisory sentence of an 18-month suspended sentence.
"PC Harris has been left with life-changing injuries, while his attacker runs round scot-free.
"This case shows that officers are prepared to put themselves at risk of serious injury every day to protect the public. They deserve far more support than this.
"This sentence gives the green light to criminals to assault officers and not fear the consequences."
Since the attack in January last year, PC Harris has been unable to return to the job he loves.
He said: "It has had a lot of impact on my life. I can't run any more, so I have had to be given a desk job.
"That is just my career, but it has been really difficult personally. I was quite an active guy but that has been taken from me with no end in sight."
Lohan, 20, kicked PC Harris after the officer detained him in Henry Boot Way following a car chase. He admitted causing grievous bodily harm to the officer and possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.
PC Harris said he had handcuffed Lohan but he managed to break free and kick the officer before running away.
"I have never felt pain like it in my life," he said.
"It felled me like a tree. I have been in situations like that before but have never felt anything like that."
While PC Harris was taken to hospital in an ambulance, Lohan fled.
He was found by police 45 minutes later in a flat in Bathurst Street, west Hull, where detectives discovered £486.50 in cash inside his tracksuit top.
His mother's home in Nottingham was searched and a tub containing almost £1,000 of heroin was found, which had already been separated into 97 street deals.
The Department for Work and Pensions said the officer has been left 20 per cent disabled, which was disputed by Lohan.
At the last hearing four weeks ago, Lohan was remanded in custody but he walked free after being formally sentenced this week.
Judge Simon Jack had previously told him: "It is clearly a very serious injury and there may well be a significant difference in sentence depending on if it is a permanent injury with significant disability."
After new medical reports were produced, Lohan's barrister Nigel Clive argued that PC Harris was expected to make a full recovery and had suffered a previous leg injury, which exacerbated the problem.
PC Harris said: "I haven't made a full recovery and I'm not sure that I ever will. I have never had weakness in my knees but I have been a police officer for ten years so there was bound to be wear and tear.
"I have had no problems whatsoever."
Lohan admitted the drugs charge on the basis he was a custodian of the drugs found in Nottingham.
Judge Jack sentenced him to an 18-month prison term, suspended for two years, and ordered him to undergo supervision by the probation service.
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