Harrogate man jailed for breaking police officer's leg and terrorising ex-partner

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Shane Povey, 38, started berating officers when he turned up at an incident police were already trying to quell in Boroughbridge.

As officers were breaking up a fight between two men, Povey – who knew one of the warring parties – turned up in a friend’s car, got out and started shouting and swearing at police, York Crown Court heard.

“Mr Povey was remonstrating with police, asking who had reported the incident,” said prosecutor Stephen Littlewood.

Police told him to leave the scene, whereupon Povey, who was drunk, walked back to the vehicle, hurling a volley of abuse as he did so.

When police tried to arrest him, Povey grabbed two of the officers by the arm and shoved them away. One of the officers lost his balance, fell to the ground and felt his ankle crack.

Povey was restrained by other officers using pepper spray. The injured officer, who was lying “in agony” on the ground, suffered a broken ankle, fractures to his shin bone and ligament damage.

He needed two operations for his broken leg and was left with severe mobility problems and relying on crutches.

The incident had left deep psychological scars and the officer suffered lost earnings due to absence from work and restricted duties thereafter. He had been receiving ongoing orthopaedic treatment and was still unable to run.

Povey, of Dene Park, Harrogate, was released on bail following the incident on August 1, 2019, but in January last year he decided to seek out his ex-partner.

The victim, a mother-of-one who was named in court, had ended the relationship a few weeks before the incident on January 17, when Povey bombarded her “throughout the day” with unanswered phone calls and a flurry of text messages “demanding money from her”.

In the evening, he turned up at her home in Boroughbridge and started banging at her door and windows, shouting dire threats and threatening to “do her car in”.

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The victim – who had ended the relationship with Povey “because of concerns over his behaviour and the way he was treating her” – was sat in the living room “shaking” and refused to answer the door.

The victim, who was with a female friend, called police but then heard a “smash” and the car alarm going off.

Povey eventually scarpered but when she went outside, she found that all four tyres on her three-day-old Audi A1, a special mobility vehicle, had been slashed and were completely flat. Her front door had also been damaged.

Chillingly, the victim found a kitchen knife on the ground near her vehicle. Subsequent police analysis showed that the knife bore Povey’s DNA.

He was charged with criminal damage, putting his partner in fear of violence, causing serious injury to the officer, albeit without intent, and possessing a knife.

After his initial denials, Povey ultimately admitted three counts including the attack on the officer and possessing a knife. One other charge was allowed to lie on file.

The court heard that Povey had six previous convictions, mainly for drug offences including production of a Class B drug.

Ian Cook, for Povey, said his client had only taken the knife to the scene to slash the tyres and not to use against the victim.

He said his life had been marred by drug and alcohol abuse which had exacerbated mental-health issues.

Povey had been “greatly distressed” following the break-up of his relationship with the victim, but he had never been violent to her nor any other women previously, added Mr Cook.

Judge Simon Hickey said although he recognised that Povey wasn’t habitually violent and was remorseful for his actions, he had no option but to send him straight to prison due to the seriousness of the offences against his ex-partner and the attack on the police officer which had had an “extreme” effect upon him.

The judge also noted the “significant damage” caused to the woman’s Audi and the fact she was “terrified” during the incident.

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Povey was given a two-and-a-half year jail sentence but will only serve a tiny fraction of that due to the time he had already spent on remand in Hull Prison. He was also slapped with a 10-year restraining order banning him from contacting his ex-partner or entering the road where she lives.