By Grâçia Ada Obi
A former Police officer has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after he kicked his wife down the stairs and fractured her spine.
Huw Orphan, 32, had denied assaulting Amy Burley, who also worked for Gwent Police, at their home in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, in 2020, claiming it was an accident after a row.
Following a misconduct hearing earlier in October 2024 by the Gwent force, Orphan had been placed on the College of Policing’s barred list, which prohibits him from serving as a police officer.
The hearing was told he would have been dismissed immediately if he had not resigned beforehand.
Orphan was sentenced for causing grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm at Cardiff Crown Court.
In an impact statement, Ms Burley said she had been left with frequent pain and mobility issues.
“I’m unable to sit or stand for a long period of time and I have a very poor and irregular sleep pattern,” she said.
“I was unable to perform simple activities with my children, such as playing and having fun.
“After six months of sick leave, I went off on unpaid leave which has affected me and my family financially. I’m constantly drained by the whole thing.”
Temporary Chief Constable Mark Hobrough said: “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 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.