Stephen Cody

Stephen Cody, a 37-year-old man of no fixed abode in Cambridgeshire, committed a series of violent offences culminating in an attack on police officers in Cambridge. On 21 May 2021, Cody took a car without consent in Suffolk and drove it to Cambridgeshire. The following day, officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary located the vehicle in the Queen Anne Terrace multi-storey car park near Parker's Piece in Cambridge.

Upon the officers' arrival at approximately 12:20pm on 22 May 2021, Cody deliberately drove the car towards them on numerous occasions. This aggressive action resulted in injuries to two police officers, with one requiring surgery to their hand. Cody was arrested at the scene on the same day.

Cody's criminal activities extended beyond the car incident. A jury at Cambridge Crown Court found him guilty of aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving, which he had denied. Additionally, jurors convicted him of two counts of sexual assault, two counts of battery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of a knife in a public place, and affray. At a previous hearing, he had pleaded guilty to two further counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against a police officer and one count of dangerous driving.

These offences, including the sexual assaults, were carried out in the Hadleigh area near Ipswich and in Cambridge, as investigated by Suffolk Constabulary and Cambridgeshire Constabulary. Detective Constable Teresa England, who led the investigation for Suffolk Constabulary, described Cody's actions as 'nothing short of shocking and despicable', noting the considerable impact on his victims. She emphasised that 'assaults on emergency workers will not be tolerated' and praised the teamwork between the two forces that ensured justice was served.

On 18 May 2022, at Cambridge Crown Court, Cody was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison, along with an extended licence period of four years, resulting in a total of 13 years under supervision. The court highlighted the severity of his violent and sexual offences in determining the custodial sentence.