A horrific court case has exposed how a heroic police officer was brutally beaten by a violent thug during the riots of July 2024.
Sergeant Phillip Sinclair had been standing on the frontline trying to contain the disorder when he was hit by a flying brick and left with serious injuries.
Only a few hours earlier he had been one of the heroic officers faced with the daunting and heartbreaking tasks of escorting the bodies of two of the murdered southport victims to the morgue.
While defending the Mosque and other properties from violent rioters Sgt Sinclair was struck by bricks, hurting him so badly that he is still unable to walk properly or dress himself.
The 42-year-old – who had not been wearing a protective helmet at the time – will never return to frontline duty as a result of the serious injuries he sustained.
His harrowing ordeal was played out before a crown court this week who heard the case against Kevin Clark, of Brookdale Road in Hindley, who was caught on camera launching dozens of missiles at police officers following the outbreak of violence.
The masked 34-year-old can also be seen throwing a brick towards Sergeant Sinclair, striking him in the head.
Footage played to the court showed the officer deflecting one object with a shield before he was then hit by the second.
Cheers were heard from the mob as he fell to the floor, with some members of the crowd being heard on a mobile phone recording shouting ‘one down’ and ‘p***y’.
Sergeant Sinclair received treatment for multiple injuries including a wound on his head, a suspected broken leg, a dislocated finger, and ligament damage in his left ankle.
He also had to have glass removed from his arm.
Having walked to the witness box with the aid of two crutches, Sergeant Sinclair told the court that he had been ‘deemed no longer fit for frontline service’ as a result of his injuries.
He said: ‘I would describe my physical wellbeing as not far off being broken. I take significant amounts of painkillers just to function, by which I mean to get out of bed.
‘I always thought I would be a frontline officer throughout my career.
‘At times, my wife has to dress me and undress me. I went for a suit fitting the other day. I couldn’t get the jacket on and off my back.’
He said the events have had a ‘profound effect’ on his family and revealed how his daughter witnessed the shocking assault being livestreamed on social media.
Sergeant Sinclair also told the court how he found the video evidence a ‘difficult watch’ saying: ‘The part that hurts me the most is the cheer that goes up.
‘I escorted those two little girls to the morgue. To hear that crowd cheer is absolutely abhorrent.’
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