Pot dealer bites cop

A convicted cannabis dealer who bit a female police officer after a car chase has been jailed for nine months.

James Kelsey-Lewis, 40, sunk his teeth into PC Michaela Illey’s leg after she pulled him over on Tollet Street, Bethnal Green, on December 9, 2016 (corr).

He also racially abused two other officers, PC Ajay Gore and PC Neil Shipsey, following his arrest, Wood Green Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Alex Ng said: ‘The assault took the form of a bite on the thigh of the officer causing pain, swelling and bruising.

‘Fortunately that bite did not penetrate the clothing the officer was wearing.’

Kelsey-Lewis made references to Islamic State and PC Gore’s Muslim religion, as he said:

‘F–k your dead mum, go back home, this society will never accept you.’

He told PC Shipsey he hoped his father would die of lung cancer.

Following his arrest Kelsey-Lewis was found to have a knife in his jeans pocket.

Kelsey-Lewis appeared in court via video link from HMP Highpoint-Handley as he is currently serving a four-sentence for producing cannabis with intent to supply.

Reading from a letter he had written he said: ‘I am sorry to the officers for my actions, it’s not what I usually do.

‘I presume it was the drinking that made me act like that. It’s not something that will happen again, never in a million years.’

Emma Kutner, defending, asked the judge to pass as short a sentence as possible given the time that has passed since the offence and the fact that Kelsey-Lewis is already serving time.

She said: ‘He is very different from five years ago. Before you now is a man who has spent significant time in custody. He has been using his time to reflect on his behaviour in that period.’

A warrant had been issued in 2017 after Kelsey-Lewis skipped a court hearing and proceedings for these offences only began again after his arrest for cannabis production.

Kelsey-Lewis, of Broomfield Street, Poplar, admitted common assault, two counts of racially aggravated harassment, one count of religiously aggravated harassment and possession of a bladed article.

Jailing him for nine months Judge Andrew Holmes told him: ‘Biting any individual is a quite unacceptable form of behaviour and I hope in the cold light of day you appreciate just how serious this is.

‘Thankfully it did not go through but that seems more like luck than anything on your part.

‘There then followed some quite disgraceful racist comments.

‘You made reference to Islamic State and said to PC Shipsey that you hope his dead dad died of lung cancer.’

Kelsey-Lewis has previously been convicted for racially aggravated harassment in 2020 and also has convictions for possession of drugs and a pocket knife, as well as a conviction for producing cannabis for which he is currently in prison.