Five years in prison for man who slashed officer’s face

3 July 2024

‘The judge said it was down to luck that there were no fatalities that day’ says a probationary officer who was slashed with a kitchen knife across his face.

Just over a year into training as a cop, Tim Smithson was violently assaulted after attending a - seemingly innocent - domestic incident late last year.

Here, Tim recalls what happened that day, as he reveals the impact the attack has had on him and his family.

“It was November last year, and we had been called to a domestic incident,” said Tim, 23.

“It all seemed so calm at first. I supported the female involved and my colleague talked to the male. After around four to five minutes, we came together to discuss the next steps.

Large kitchen knife

“The man followed us in, and we asked him to go into the other room so we could decide what we should do.”

Tim said that it was at that point that the man - ‘out of nowhere’ - grabbed a ‘large kitchen knife’ and started ‘lunging towards’ the pair of officers.

“Without a doubt, he wanted to hurt us. He was going for us with the knife, as well as punching us,” said Tim, adding: “The judge said that it was down to luck that there were no fatalities that day.”

Tim received a slash on his left cheek, just below his eye.

Tim Smithson.

“I fell back and could feel a warm liquid on my face, but it wasn’t until I stood up that I quickly realised I was bleeding a lot,” he remembered.

“It’s scary to think what could’ve happened if my head had been any lower or the man’s arm was higher. I could’ve lost an eye, I could’ve been blinded.”

Despite their best efforts, the officers - who, admittedly, had been caught completely off-guard - struggled to stop the attack.

“I used my PAVA but that was unsuccessful. My colleague released Taser twice, and it was the second attempt which was successful and eventually stopped the man from attacking us,” continued Tim.

“I was lucky that I’d been crewed up with someone with a Taser. I don’t know what would have happened if the Taser hadn’t been a success.”

The man was cuffed and additional support soon arrived to help the officers restrain the offender.

Injuries

Tim said: “I know I was lucky to walk away with the minor injuries I did, but mentally, what happened still impacts me every single time I head out on duty.

“Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the job, but it’s definitely left me with a level of anxiety and apprehension.

“And it’s not just me, it’s my family too. They found it very distressing, and they constantly worry about me.”

On 24 June, the man who offended Tim was sentenced to five years and five months in jail, having changed his plea to guilty last minute.

“Considering he had no previous convictions, I was happy with the result, and I hope this sends a strong message that violence against officers will not be tolerated,” Tim said.

Tim has shared his experience after figures from the Office of National Statistics showed that there were 2,475 assaults on police officers in West Midlands Police, which currently has around 8,000 officers. Of those 2,475 assaults, 893 resulted in injury.

Tim ended: “Assaults on officers are becoming far too common, and it’s not acceptable. Our job is to help people, so why do so many of us continue to be violently assaulted?”

He has also praised the Federation for its support following the attack, revealing branch chair Rich Cooke called him the day after the incident to check in.

“Having viewed the body-worn video - which I found difficult to watch, even after 24 years in the job - Tim showed tremendous composure and stoicism in the face of such a vicious, unprovoked attack.

Deterrent

“The physical and mental scars from such incidents can never be erased, but you learn to adapt and come back stronger, as Tim has shown.

“Tim is a credit to the Force. I hope this sentence acts as a deterrent - five years custody should serve as a strong punishment and warning to others who may attack us.”

Tim also received continuous support from Federation representative Gemma Griffith, who is also his sergeant and has been ‘on hand to answer any questions’ Tim had since being assaulted.

Sergeant Gemma Griffith said: “Tim and his colleague PC Kevin Wood have displayed true bravery and dignity throughout the whole process, from the initial incident whereby they were professional and heroic, through to the court case and sentencing decision.

“Tim is a student officer with limited service who returned to work just a few days after being slashed. He was back out on the streets as if it had never happened, although I recognise the personal impact this must have had on him and can only praise how he has continued to carry out his policing work. He has continued to put members of the public first when he had gone through his own distressing and personal ordeal.

“I am extremely proud to supervise both Tim and Kevin [Kevin has subsequently left the team for a new role] and they are a credit to our team and the organisation.”