Wellingborough police officer asked 'Do you want to die?' by man who tried to suffocate him in Swansgate car park

A Wellingborough man who admitted trying to suffocate a police officer responding to a report of a gun sighting has been jailed for two and a half years.

In June last year, Northamptonshire Police was told a man was in the Swansgate car park area of Wellingborough with what looked like a gun bag designed to carry a long-barrelled firearm.

When Sergeant Dave Cayton went to investigate, the man, 58-year-old Max Hallam, quickly became violent, punching Sgt Cayton to the floor then climbing onto his chest, restricting his breathing while asking him ‘Do you want to die?’

Hallam, previously of Wellingborough, admitted a charge of intentional non-fatal suffocation at a court hearing in January, returning to Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday (June 20) where he was handed a two-and-a-half-year prison term.

Sgt Cayton said: “I’m satisfied with Hallam’s sentence. He will have served a significant amount of time in custody by the time he is released, which hopefully also reduces risk to the public.”

Speaking afterwards, investigating officer Detective Constable Neil Carr, of the Northants Police’s CID North, said: “What Max Hallam put Sgt Cayton through is horrendous – the body-worn video of the incident graphically illustrates the level of force involved and the prolonged period Hallam was suffocating him for.

“Not being able to breathe is the stuff of nightmares and I am glad that the court has recognised the severity of this offence with a significant custodial sentence.”

Following Hallam’s sentencing Sgt Cayton’s body-worn video has been released, in which Hallam can be heard threatening ‘I can ******* kill you’ as the officer’s breathing becomes increasingly laboured.

It was only when Sgt Cayton’s colleagues arrived and pointed a Taser at Hallam that he released Sgt Cayton, who although injured and breathless, went on to arrest him. Sgt Cayton’s injuries included a haemorrhaged right eye, bruising, reddening and multiple abrasions.

The bag Hallam had in his car was later found to contain an air rifle.

Hallam, previously of Wellingborough, went on to be charged with intentional non-fatal suffocation, which he admitted at a court hearing in January.

Chief Constable Nick Adderley said: “The protection of my officers is a cornerstone of my role, and I’m really pleased Hallam has been given a substantial prison sentence for his attack on Sgt Cayton.

“The body-worn video of this incident is utterly chilling, as was reading Sgt Cayton’s subsequent statement in which he detailed how he genuinely believed he would die.

“He is a long-serving and experienced officer who came to work that day to help others. It doesn’t bear thinking about how close he came to not going home safely to his family that night, all because of one violent man.

“Any assault on one of my officers is unacceptable. We will always seek to prosecute those responsible, and it is right that the courts take the sentencing of such offences so seriously.”

He also repeated his thanks to DC Carr and his CID colleagues Detective Sergeant Andrew Barnes and Detective Inspector Hayley Thurston for their work on the case, and to the officers that came to Sgt Cayton’s aid.