Scars suffered by policeman who had boiling water thrown in face
(Picture: Metropolitan Police)A man who threw scalding water from a kettle at a policeman in a racist incident leaving him with horrific facial injuries has avoided jailed.
Astrit Mala, 47, attacked police officers assisting council staff evicting him from a property in Allenby Road, Southall, west London.
When Mala opened the door, he twice threw boiling liquid at an officer and racially abused him and made threats to kill. He used water from a kettle and cups of tea in the assault which was also aimed at a second officer.
Mala was then arrested by at around 12.30pm on July 1, 2022.
He appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on December 7 where he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault on an emergency services worker and one count of a racially or religiously aggravated public order offence.
Mala, of no fixed address, was sentenced to a total of 26 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, and ordered to pay a total of £500 compensation.
The sentence he received caused outrage on social media with some calling it “absolutely disgusting”.
A male who threw scalding water at officers has pled guilty to assault on an emergency worker x 2 and a racially aggravated public order offence. He was sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment suspended for 2 years, with £350 and £150 compensation for the officers involved. pic.twitter.com/D8ouADiiXf
— Lady Margaret LPT (@MPSLadyMargaret) December 28, 2022
When the Lady Margaret Policing Team tweeted details of the crime, author Phil Cleary replied: “This should be appealed. Where is the deterrence?”
One officer replied: “A suspended sentence for that? Shocking work from the courts once again. Hoping your officers recover quickly.”
A former senior Metropolitan Police officer also said: “You cannot do this to any member of the emergency services and get away with it. Something is seriously wrong with the judicial system if sentencing is so lenient.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said they were “considering their options” after the sentencing.
They added: “All too often officers suffer assaults, threats and abuse on duty. There are an average of 135 physical assaults against Met officers and staff every week. Every assault is shocking and can have devastating consequences for the victim. These offences must be taken seriously.
“Sentencing is a matter for the courts and is out of the hands of officers. However we recognise the strong views that have been shared in relation to the decision to suspend the sentence in this case.
“In reaching their decisions, the courts take into account a number of factors including but not limited to any previous criminal history, the timing of any guilty pleas and information put forward by agencies including social services and probation.
“In this case consideration was also given to medical reports that were ordered by the court prior to sentencing to provide information on Mala’s mental health.
“We are in touch with the Crown Prosecution Service to fully understand the factors that led to this sentencing decision and to consider what, if any, further representations may need to be made.”
