Man Jailed for Assault on Elderly Victim and Police Officers

A man has been sentenced to five years in prison following an assault that resulted in a 77-year-old man being hospitalized with severe injuries. Joseph Charlott, 22, from Deepdene Gardens in Hastings, East Sussex, received his sentence at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday. He had been found guilty of four offences, including grievous bodily harm with intent and assaulting an emergency worker, after attempting to resist arrest by three officers. Charlott is also required to serve three years under an extended licence period. Police stated that Charlott had forcibly entered the man’s motorhome in Malvern Way, Hastings, on 12 May 2023. When the victim contacted the police, he was knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked, sustaining injuries that included a fractured shoulder blade, ribs, and chest bone. Charlott was eventually apprehended in August 2023, and during his arrest, he jumped from a second-story window before assaulting the three officers. He was also convicted of possessing an offensive weapon and criminal damage. Temporary Det Sgt Jake O’Reilly said: “This level of violence against a vulnerable member of the public protecting his property and then on police officers performing their lawful duty is indefensible.“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the many teams across Sussex Police who worked tirelessly to investigate, locate, arrest and charge Charlott, and I hope his sentence will offer some closure for the victims.”