A FORMER Gwent Police officer has been jailed after he was found guilty of breaking his wife’s back after kicking her down a set of stairs

Huw Orphan, 32, from Newport was a serving officer when convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm on his partner and fellow colleague PC Amy Burley.

He resigned this month shortly before an accelerated misconduct hearing was due to start.

Sending him to prison for two years and six months, the Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, told Orphan: “You kicked out backwards with your leg.

“She described it as a donkey kick, hitting her to the right side of her body and sending her flying backwards down the stairs, clearing the staircase and landing on the hall floor just before the front door.

“As she landed, she had a cracking or popping noise and felt severe pain. She thought she had fractured her rib, but in fact she had fractured her T12 vertebra.”

He was also found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Ms Burley following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.

The two assaults took place against the victim, also a police officer, in Newport and Barry on January 25, 2020 and April 7, 2020.

Orphan, bow of now of Church Road, Barry was acquitted by a jury of the more serious charge of grievous bodily harm with intent.

Ieuan Bennett, prosecuting, reading the victim impact statement said: “The events of the abuse have caused me to play it over in my head.

“I would describe myself as overcautious with men.

“I am under a consultant currently for my heart and blood pressure problems. They believe this is as a result of the trauma and stress over a long period of time which in turn affects my mental health.”

Urging the judge to pass a suspended sentence, Julian King for Orphan said: “His father passed away last year sadly. He now provides support for his mother and son.

“He wishes to be a dedicated father.”

Temporary Chief Constable Mark Hobrough said after sentence: "Former officer Huw Orphan was convicted of these horrific crimes by a jury and has been dismissed from our service due to his disgraceful actions.

"My thoughts go out to the victim in this case who has shown tremendous courage in coming forward.

“There is no place in our organisation or in our communities for perpetrators of domestic violence and these actions do not represent the values of the vast majority of our hard working and committed staff, many of whom work tirelessly to prevent and detect serious offences like these.

“I know this case will have had a detrimental impact on the trust and confidence that victims of domestic abuse feel in coming forward to report to us.

“I want anyone considering doing so to know that we remain dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic abuse and bringing offenders to justice for these awful crimes.

“I would urge anyone who is suffering abuse to please get in touch with the police or another support service. Please don’t suffer in silence."