Hammer-wielding Clacton thug jailed after punching woman in face

Nathan Phillips, 32, of no fixed address, has been given three years in prison and been made the subject of a ten-year restraining order.

Phillips, who has also been disqualified from driving for three years, was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court after he was charged with and admitted a litany of offences.

The charges include assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, stalking, making threats with an offensive weapon.

Phillips was also charged with theft, dangerous driving, criminal damage and failing to provide a sample.

Jailed - Nathan Phillips, 32, smashed a police officer's car with a hammer and punched a woman in the face (Image: Essex Police)

His sentencing comes after he was first arrested on May 1 after he was involved in an incident of domestic violence in Clacton after punching a woman in the face.

After being arrested, he then assaulted a police officer while in custody before being released on bail.

On May 9, in Clacton, after harassing and stalking the victim of the domestic assault for several days, Phillips followed an off-duty officer in his van.

After pulling up across him and cutting him off and making a series of verbal threats, Phillips got out of his van and used a hammer to strike the officer’s driver-side window.

Other on-duty officers attended and witnessed Phillips with the hammer in his hand before detaining Phillips who then again assaulted an officer.

DS Thomas Vickers, of the Clacton Domestic Abuse Investigation Team, said: “A number of officers worked around the clock, late into the night, to secure charges for these nine offences.

“An off-duty officer faced the inexcusable actions of Phillips, who delivered a barrage of hammer blows to his vehicle.

“He remained at a safe distance to observe and report back to our control room, alerting his colleagues to Phillips’ location and ensuring the suspect would not evade early arrest or put other members of the public at risk.

“DC Debbie Jakeman spoke and dealt with the domestic abuse victim for over three hours.

“She supported her in her change of stance and her providing a statement in support in prosecution.

“House to house and CCTV enquiries by several officers established two further offences to put to the defendant.

“T/DC Devlin and DC Wood completed a two-hour no comment interview covering the offences.

“This was a real team effort showcasing the dedication and perseverance of several teams within Essex Police.”