R v Muhammad Rodwan – Sentencing remarks
| Jurisdiction | England & Wales |
| Judgment Date | 24 January 2020 |
| Subject Matter | Sentencing Remarks |
| Court | Crown Court |
1
R V MUHAMMAD RODWAN
SENTENCING REMARKS OF THE HONOURABLE MRS JUSTICE CARR DBE
The victim surcharge order will apply as appropriate.
Introduction
Muhammad Rodwan, you are now 56 years old. Having been acquitted of attempted murder and
having an offensive weapon, you stand convicted by a unanimous jury of wounding PC Stuart Outten
with intent contrary to s. 18 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861.
This was a brutal and shocking attack with a machete on a police officer carrying out his duties
during what should have been a routine stop of your van to investigate whether you were properly
insured.
The facts
At around midnight on 7 August 2019 you were lawfully apprehended by PC Outten and PC Helen
Brooks for driving your van without insurance on Leyton High Road, E10. Contrary to what you told
the jury, I am sure that you knew when apprehended that you had no insurance: your van was
where you lived at the time, and your means of getting to your jobs as a handyman. You kept work
records and photographs of the back of your van show that you are an organised person. You would
have been well alive to the important question of insurance. Moreover, when the police stopped
you, both officers separately made it clear to you that they wanted to speak to you because they
believed that you had no insurance at the time. If you had genuinely believed otherwise, you would
have simply said so.
When you first pulled up, already angry, you refused to exit your vehicle. You drove off a short
distance, then stopping again. You got out of your van and were immediately confrontational both in
your body language and words, challenging the police officers in the street. The officers on the
other hand were polite and professional towards you, using the words “please” and “sir”. You
ignored their lawful requests, instead returning to your van and attempting to get in and drive off
again.
I am sure that the violence started with you - when PC Outten blocked your attempt to shut your
door. You punched, or at least pushed, PC Outten out of the way. There followed a struggle between
you and PC Outten in and around the driver’s seat. PC Outten arrested for you assaulting a police
officer and cautioned you. I accept that in the course of this struggle PC Outten used considerable
force, pulling your hair so that several of your dreadlocks fell out. PC Outten also put his left hand
around your neck in order to subdue you. But I reject the unattractive submission that he was using
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