A 28-year-old man from Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempted murder, following a violent confrontation with police outside the Talbot Green police station in South Wales. Alexander Dighton appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, where he represented himself and admitted to a total of ten charges related to the incident that took place on the evening of January 31.

The police were alerted at approximately 7pm when Dighton, equipped with a home-made explosive commonly referred to as a Molotov cocktail, a hatchet, a knife, and a wooden pole, confronted officers outside the station. He was recorded on CCTV footage arriving near the police facility with a large rucksack and a pole. Shortly before his attack, he lit the Molotov cocktail and threw it at a police van, but when it failed to detonate, he proceeded to pour petrol from a second bottle onto the van to ignite it.

Dighton then targeted the police van with the wooden pole, smashing its windows. When officers arrived at the scene and urged him to surrender, he defiantly stated, “I’m fed up. I’m done.” Dighton was wearing body armour and managed to resist the officers even after being Tasered and sprayed with pepper spray. He continued the assault, swinging the pole at one officer, punching another, and stabbing a third in the leg. Two of the three officers involved required hospital treatment for their injuries.

Upon his arrest, Dighton told police, “I have been damned from birth,” and declared that his actions were motivated by an anti-government ideology, although he denied any intent to kill a police officer. During the court hearing, he refused legal counsel despite being informed of the serious nature of his charges, which could carry a life sentence. He told Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb that “Authority is not my problem. It’s the use of authority which to me is the problem, the use of authority I have seen since I was 15, that’s my problem.”

In addition to the attempted murder of Detective Constable Jack Cotton, Dighton admitted to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Sergeant Richard Coleman, assaulting police constable Joshua Emlyn, and threatening police constable Stephanie Fleming with the wooden pole. His other admissions included attempted arson of the police van, possession of both a knife and a hatchet, as well as two counts of criminal damage to police property.

It was noted in court that Dighton had no previous convictions but there are concerns regarding his mental health, with suggestions that he may have Asperger’s syndrome or an autism spectrum disorder. Following the court proceedings, he was remanded into custody, with sentencing scheduled for May 13.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Williams from Counter Terrorism Policing Wales commented on the situation, emphasising the dangers police officers face and commending the swift actions of the South Wales Police in preventing further harm. Chief Superintendent Stephen Jones also expressed appreciation for the professionalism demonstrated by the officers involved, highlighting the unpredictable nature of police work.

Bethan David, head of the Counter Terrorism Division for the Crown Prosecution Service, characterised Dighton’s attempts as serious offences with potential terrorist implications, given his expressed beliefs. The community is reportedly unsettled by the incident, and law enforcement is working to assure the public following the violent confrontation.

Source: Noah Wire Services