Newtown dad raised hand at police officer during arrest

Daniel Breeze, 34, tensed up to prevent handcuffs from being placed around his wrists and began to struggle with officers.

Breeze pleaded guilty to obstructing PC Neil Dowlman when they were called to Lon Ceirios in Newtown on Thursday, April 25.

Prosecutor Helen Tench told Welshpool Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, May 14, that officers were called to the property in Trehafren for unrelated incident. It wasn't until after police told Breeze that he was going to be arrested that the struggle unfolded.

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The court heard that PC Dowlman remembers pressing an emergency button and grabbed Breeze's hoodie to hold him back.

A member of the public who knew Breeze and was passing managed to calm him down and he was then placed in handcuffs and taken to the police station.

"Fortunately, the officer didn’t sustain injuries as a result," Mrs Tench said, adding that the incident was a "waste of resources" and "deliberate action".

Robert Hanratty, acting on behalf of Breeze, said: "Every resistance is a waste of resources.

"This was a case where there was no actual underlining offence, but it came to their attention and he didn’t want to be arrested.

"He hasn’t been in any bother for nearly 10 years. He is a father five times over and is about to start a new job as an agricultural worker.

"He very much regrets the appearance today. He meant no harm to the officer and indeed no harm was caused."

The 34-year-old of Lon Ceirios, Newtown, was told he must pay a £40 fine for the offence as well as £85 court costs and a £16 victim surcharge.

The magistrates' bench decided not to award compensation to PC Dowlman because he was not injured.