Straw: I feel for Pc victim

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has said his heart goes out to the Shropshire police officer whose attacker was released from jail less than three months into his sentence.

Mr Straw was responding in the Commons yesterday to a question from Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard, who said he was outraged by the early release from prison of William Armer, of Deepfield, Dawley.

Armer was jailed for 14 months at Stoke Crown Court in July for assaulting Constable David George, of Telford police.

See also: Pc's attacker free after three months

Mr Pritchard told the Justice Secretary Constable George had been "brutally attacked, kicked unconscious and needed hospital treatment".

"The offender was subsequently caught, prosecuted and sentenced to 14 months in prison," he said.

Katharine George, Constable George's wife, yesterday described Armer's release as a "joke".

Mr Pritchard asked Mr Straw: "Do you share my outrage and the outrage of my constituents, Mr and Mrs George, who were informed only last week that the culprit has been released, having only served 12 weeks behind bars?

"Is that the Justice Secretary's new definition of punishment?"

Mr Straw replied: "My heart, like the whole of the House, goes out to the police officer who was injured, his family and colleagues and friends. I cannot possibly make comment on individual sentencing decisions – no-one in my position can.

"What I would say is what has happened in recent years, which is why the prison population has risen by a third, is sentences typically handed down by the courts are longer, particularly for those who are convicted for offences of violence."

However, Mr Pritchard branded Mr Straw's answer as "weak and contradictory". He said: "The majority of my constituents, including Mr and Mrs George, want to see a sufficient amount of time served by those who commit crime against the person or property."

Armer was not available to comment on his early release today.

By London Editor John Hipwood