Man, 20, sentenced over police racial attacks and 'random violence'

A man has been given an 18-month jail sentence for hate crimes against police officers and assaults, including antisemitic abuse, rape threats, and attacking a man with a hammer.

But Rasheed Jama, 20, from Grangetown in Cardiff, who attended the Cardiff Crown Court hearing via video link from HMP Swansea, was told he could be released "today or soon", given the time he had already spent in custody.

The hearing was told how he assaulted police officers on multiple occasions in 2025, using "extreme levels of violence and extreme racial slurs".

In one, he bit and spat at officers who were attempting to restrain and, in another, he threatened to rape a female officer as he was being arrested.

Jama was detained by police on 20 June and taken to the city's University Hospital Wales after being found "abusive, foaming at the mouth... and intoxicated".

He later became "verbally abusive and aggressive", said prosecutor Martha Smith-Higgins, and shouted racial slurs and a far-right slogan.

She said after being removed from the A&E unit, he continued to assault officers while outside, spitting, kicking and biting them, and using an antisemitic slur.

Interviewed by police the next day, he doubled down by saying he "wished he'd done more to assault officers", and showed no remorse for the racial slurs used.

In an incident on 29 August, police were called to help remove Jama from a shopping centre after he threatened to stab security staff in the neck.

Then, when he was searched and arrested, he threatened to rape a female police officer, the court heard.

Jama carried out an unprovoked hammer attack on 11 September, hitting a man on the back of his head while he was inside Penarth Labour Club.

The victim was left with blood pouring from his head, while Jama was arrested nearby shortly afterwards, said the prosecution.

'Unpleasant and frightening'

William Bebb, mitigating, acknowledged that Jama had carried out "repulsive, unsavoury and violent acts", and that his "impulsivity... is something he needs to work on".

Judge Christopher Felstead said Jama had been "extraordinarily racially abusive towards officers using extreme racial slurs", and that his acts of physical assault had also been "unpleasant and frightening".

He added that the language Jama used towards female officers had been "disgusting and utterly reprehensible", while the hammer attack had been an act of "utterly nonsensical and random violence".

Jama pleaded guilty to 11 offences in relation to the three incidents, including religiously aggravated assault, assaulting emergency workers, grievous bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon and racially aggravated assault.

The defendant also had five previous convictions for 14 offences, all of which were "relevant" to his sentencing, said the judge.

Jama was given an 18 month sentence, with the judge noting he would be eligible for release after serving at least 40%.

However, given the time Jama had already spent in custody, the judge acknowledged that the defendant could be released "today or soon".