An Eritrean asylum seeker who attacked three police officers at a migrant hotel before he then kicked off in court has been jailed and is expected to be deported.
Ismail Ahmedsalih, from Eritrea in northeast Africa, was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court after admitting to assaulting three police constables and a charge of affray at the Ibis Hotel in Gloucester on August 27 this year.
Police attended the accommodation, which was the site of anti-immigrant protests just three days later, because of a serious disturbance involving Ahmedsalih.
The 34-year-old assaulted the officers when they arrested him during the lunchtime incident. None of them needed hospital treatment.
He then kicked off in the cells of the Gloucestershire town’s court while waiting to appear at a hearing before he was sentenced.
His defence solicitor at that time, Jane Taylor, told the court that she would no longer represent him after he swore at her and behaved in a threatening manner while she was trying to talk to him about his case.
Magistrates were told that Ahmedsalih had become violent in the cells and would have to be handcuffed to security guards before appearing in the dock.
The Home Office is now expected to move towards deporting him. A foreign national convicted of an offence that has caused serious harm will be considered for deportation where it is conducive to the public good under the Immigration Act 1971.
Ismail Ahmedsalih (pictured), from Eritrea in northeast Africa, was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court and is now expected to be deported
The hotel where Ahmedsalih was being held was the site of anti-migrant protests(pictured) just three days before he attacked the police officers
A Home Office spokesman said: ‘When foreign nationals commit serious crimes in our country, we will always do everything in our power to deport them.
‘This government deported almost 5,200 foreign national offenders in its first year in office, a 14% increase on the previous year, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets.’
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Constabulary said: ‘No-one should turn up to work and be subjected to physical abuse throughout the course of doing their duties.
‘Police officers regularly put themselves in harm’s way in order to protect the public, and being abused shouldn’t be seen as just part of the job.
‘Assaults on our officers will not be tolerated, and we will pursue prosecutions for offenders.’
