EXCLUSIVE: Dad and Stepson sentenced for strangling cops who tried to make arrests after attack on man in Colchester

A DAD of five and his stepson have been sentenced after they each strangled cops who tried to arrest them after the older man attacked a stranger on a drunken night out.

Special Inspector Mark Barham feared he could have died at the hands of Sam Minter, 39, (above left in custody image and right from police body worn camera on the night) as he throttled him on a pitch black river bank.

He was saved by colleagues who used PAVA spray to subdue Minter who had drunk five pints and taken cocaine.

Just minutes earlier Minter's then 17-year-old stepson, Taylor Oliver, choked Police Sergeant Scott Lewis to the point of going unconscious before the pair fled.

PS Lewis had tried to arrest Minter while responding alone to a 999 call just after 10pm about his violent attack on the man, who has not been identified, outside a Colchester Kebab shop.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard the two police officer's accounts of their "terrifying" ordeals at a sentence hearing for the two, with Mr Barham fearing he could have died.

The court heard PS Lewis approached the pair, who were with a group of other people, and tried to place Minter into handcuffs.

However, Minter (above right with Oliver left), who told police he had five pints and a packet of cocaine he found in a toilet, aggressively resisted arrest after he got one arm into a cuff.

In a statement to the court, PS Lewis said: “I asked for more units to assist as the male’s demeanour had changed and I felt very outnumbered. I tried to leg sweep the older male to the floor at this point, but it failed, so I tried again, and this was successful.

"The older male was on the floor (and) as I am trying to detain him properly.

"The younger male is still shouting something like 'get off my dad' and at this point has wrapped his arm around my neck in what I would describe as a choke hold.

"During this I am still trying to hold onto the handcuffs and the older male. I began to lose feeling in my legs and suddenly felt tired. I discreetly tried to press my emergency button, but I could feel myself drifting off. I can recall trying to speak but I don’t think any noise was coming out. I felt as though I could not breathe.”

The court heard that on the evening of February 17 2024 police were alerted by a 999 call from witness Rafal Wlodarczyk to a fight taking place outside a Colchester kebab shop, with Minter later identified as the aggressor, who repeatedly punched an unidentified man on the floor.

PS Lewis was seen on CCTV to arrive at the scene in a single-crewed police van.

His body worn camera played to the court showed Minter aggressively denying he had done anything and resisting arrest before he was grabbed by Oliver, now 18.

Prosecuting, Joseph Barlow, said: "While PS Lewis was on the floor, his camera catches Mr Minter threatening to 'end his life' if he gets up. The footage shows both Mr Minter and Mr Oliver then running away. Officers attending PS Lewis found him lying on the floor."

Officers managed to locate and detain Mr Oliver on the bridge over the River Colne, but Minter ran off down along the river and was pursued by Sp/Insp Barham.

Once he caught him, his body worn footage played to the court showed Minter was resistant and told the officer 'Don’t make a mistake' before he tried to break free, leading to a struggle in which they both ended up on the floor.

A statement from the officer said: "He punched me to the body a couple of times… I then felt pressure around my neck... I knew that I was being strangled."

The officer tried to fight him off but was unable to and said he tried to call out to colleagues, but the pressure on his neck meant he was unable to.

Other officers arrived and used PAVA spray to subdue Minter who was detained.

The pair were taken to Clacton custody suit, where they made admissions and apologised in interview.

Both officers were taken to hospital for treatment and were later discharged.

Minter, of Chapel Road, Boxted, was charged with intentional strangulation, making a threat to kill, assaulting an emergency worker, possession of cocaine, affray and escaping from lawful custody.

Oliver, Margaret Road in Colchester, who initially could not be named as he was under 18 at the time of the attack, was charged with affray, aiding escape from lawful custody and intentional strangulation.

They both denied the offences and were released on conditional bail after an initial hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court.

However, ahead of a trial that was due to start at Chelmsford Crown Court in October, the pair pleaded guilty to some of the offences.

On Friday, October 17, Minter admitted one count of affray, in connection with the earlier attack, one count of threats to kill, against PS Lewis, and the intentional strangulation of Special Inspector Barham.

Oliver admitted to one count of the intentional strangulation of PS Lewis.

At a sentencing hearing yesterday, November 27 2025, the court heard both officers gave victim impact statements.

Mr Barlow read out Mr Barham's which said there must have been "someone watching over him" due to how quickly other officers found him and "what could have otherwise happened."

He said: "It has greatly affected my confidence as a police officer and an individual" and he halved his shifts from 60 to 30 hours a month as a result.

He said he knew the role risked suffering an assault but he "never thought (he) would be involved in an incident where he was genuinely fighting for (his) life and that he has sought counselling for sleepless nights and flashbacks in which he relives the feeling of pressure on his neck.

He added: "I feel lucky to still be here and what could have happened if other officers had not found me when they did

I can't think of other times an officer has been strangled and where this came from.

Mr Lewis, who has been an officer for nine years, told the court he was haunted by the attack, with recurring dreams, and it made him consider his role as a police officer.

He said: "I am constantly looking over my shoulder and avoid being single crewed for fear of being attacked."

He said he has lasting psychological impacts and feels he has let down the public as he cannot do the job as effectively as he did before.

The court heard Minter had been an exceptional single dad to Oliver, who sees him as his true father, and two other boys and two girls aged six to 17, after he was awarded custody due to the mother's alcohol problems.

Meyrick Williams, defending Minter, said his actions were uncharacteristic and urged for a community sentence so he could continue to look after the children as he was a devoted father who was willing to undergo counselling.

The court heard Oliver is awaiting sentence for a separate assault on a police officer after he went out drinking after the attacks on the two officers.

Joe Bird, defending Oliver, said the strangulation was borne out of an understandable loyalty to Minter plus immaturity and alcohol.

Judge Jamie Sawyer said Minter had engaged in sustained violence that night and the strangulation of Mr Barham, who was alone and in the dark, was horrifying.

He said: "You placed him in a choke hold around his neck and exerted pressure for a sustained period, requiring other officers to intervene, preventing further harm to the officer."

He also said threatening to end Mr Lewis's life as he lay on the ground was a very serious offence.

"He was found lying motionless and requiring urgent assistance," he said.

He gave Minter two years for the strangulation, nine months for threats to kill and three months for affray, to be served consecutively, a total of three years.

Oliver received 16 months in jail, which was suspended for two years.

Detective Patrick Flude said: "Our officer was responding to this incident as he would any other and was assaulted in the line of duty.

We are thankful he was not left with any lasting injuries. Paramedics, firefighters and police are often called when people find themselves at their most vulnerable. This case shows the potential dangers officers put themselves in every time they respond to a call for help, and why there is never an excuse for assaulting the emergency services."