Man jailed for assaulting female police officer

Tuesday 20 April 2021

Less than a month after escaping a prison sentence for assaulting a police officer, a 46-year-old landed himself in more trouble by reaching out and touching a female officer's upper thigh while in custody.

Terry Martin Quinn has been sentenced to 12 weeks in Les Nicolles Prison.

At around 23:50 on 5 April, officers came across Quinn face down on the pavement outside the Harbour Lights. He was arrested, as he could not look after himself, and mumbled "you're gorgeous" to his arresting officer as she was helping him to his feet. 

In the custody suite, she stood near to his chair in case he slipped off due to how unstable and intoxicated he was. CCTV footage played in Court showed him put his hands in the area of his crotch before reaching out and touching the officer towards the top of her thigh.

The Magistrate's Court was reminded that Quinn had been in the dock just weeks before, on 18 March.

Pictured: Quinn was convicted for assaulting a police officer while in custody - the second time he has done so this year. 

He had previously been given a Community Service Order as a direct alternative to prison time for his behaviour on 4 January. On that occasion, he was arrested for disorderly conduct, before kicking out and hurting a police officer's arm while in custody. 

Defence Advocate Sam Steel said his client had no recollection of the latest offences. "A few drinks led to a few more and a few more and he blacked out." 

He disputed the Crown Advocate's assertion that Quinn had rubbed his crotch, saying instead that he was rubbing his trousers because they were wet.

He described his client as a normally pro-social member of the community. A chef by trade, Advocate Steel said Quinn had prepared meals for free to the residents of a housing complex during lockdown. 

He said Quinn was "sick to the core" that his actions could also foil his new business partner's plans for a new restaurant, at which he would have been the head chef.

Pictured: The last thing Quinn remembered was being at the Mariners' Inn earlier that evening. 

Judge Graeme McKerrell said that Quinn's involvement in that business venture was now dead in the water. Given his history of offending in the UK and now in Guernsey - which he moved to in September 2020 - all indications are that Quinn's application for a new work permit will be refused. 

"Everything that was said on the last occasion was ignored," he scolded. "You got yourself incapably drunk. You only came here towards the end of last year and you have already picked up two convictions for assault.

"Whatever good work you have done cannot undo the harm that you have caused by committing these offences."

Judge McKerrell reminded Quinn that the CSO handed out last month was a direct alternative to jail time and that he kept his promises. 

He revoked the CSO and Probation Orders from March and sentenced Quinn to six weeks for this assault and six weeks, consecutive, for the previous assault.