Man punched police officer after being stopped for not wearing seatbelt

GUILTY: Bilal Ocal

A man who left a police officer needing surgery after punching him in the face has been found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm.

Bilal Ocal, 27, became abusive when he was spoken to after being seen not wearing a seatbelt while driving near Pearson Park in west Hull on Sunday, August 2, 2020.

He then got out and punched the officer in the face, causing injuries that needed surgery.

Ocal fled the scene but was found hiding in a bush a short time later with his hands covered in blood.

Ocal, of Hopwood Close, west Hull, denied the offence but was convicted after a week-long trial at Hull Crown Court. He is due to be sentenced on Friday, April 29.

In a statement after the hearing, Detective Inspector Andy Crawforth, of Humberside Police, said: “We take assaults on our officers incredibly seriously. This incident highlights yet again that our colleagues never know who or what they may come into contact with.

“No one should have to expect that a relatively simple and seemingly innocuous traffic matter could elicit such a violent level of resistance.

“We look forward to what is hopefully a proportionally serious sentence that sends out a clear message that violence against our officers, or in our communities, will not be tolerated.”

Speaking to The Hull Story in December, Chief Constable Lee Freeman said assaults on officers were at the highest level he had known in his 29 years in policing.

“As a society, I think we should be ashamed of that,” he said.

“These officers are our sons and daughters, neighbours and friends, who are putting on a uniform and going out there to try and do the right thing. It has a massive personal impact on them.”