The widow of murdered PC Dave Phillips has spoken of her shock at the disrespect her husband received as a police officer.
Jen Phillips released an official statement following the sentencing of her husband’s killer Clayton Williams today, and she thanked the public for their support during the ordeal.
“I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all the kind words, letters, cards, gifts and donations. I feel completed overwhelmed by it all and it has helped me through this terribly dark time”
She also stated that despite the support she had recieved showing that ” the police are still respected and thought of highly”, her husband was regularly subjected to abuse on duty.
“The uniform used to represent a figure of authority within the community, but as time has gone on, it seemed to myself and Dave that the uniform has become a target for criminals to abuse.”
“Just walking along the street, Dave was regularly spat at, assaulted, sworn at, and so on. He was a man just doing his job.”
Williams recieved was today sentenced to twenty years imprisonment for the manslaughter of PC Dave Phillips and his widow hoped it would represent progress for law enforcement.