Repeat offender jailed after breaching court order and assaulting police officer
Chelmsford man sentenced to more than three years in prison
A man who repeatedly ignored a criminal behaviour order across Essex and later assaulted a police officer has been sentenced to more than three years in prison.
Keith Wright, 48, was arrested by neighbourhood policing officers on Maldon High Street after reports that he was intoxicated and behaving aggressively.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard on 29 January that his conduct was in direct breach of a five-year criminal behaviour order (CBO) imposed in November 2024 at the request of Chelmsford’s Neighbourhood Policing Team.
The order banned Wright from being drunk or aggressive in public.
Following his most recent arrest on 15 September 2025, Wright went on to kick a police officer while being held in custody, the court was told.
Wright was jailed for a total of three years and six weeks after being convicted of nine breaches of the CBO and six incidents of threatening or abusive behaviour across Chelmsford, Colchester, Maldon and Heybridge. One of the incidents took place on a ward at Broomfield Hospital.
The court also heard that Wright was responsible for four shop thefts, criminal damage and the assault of a police officer.
His overall sentence included the activation of two previously suspended prison sentences.
Following the hearing, Sergeant Matt Dalby of Maldon Neighbourhood Policing Team said Essex Police would not tolerate assaults on its officers or staff.
He added:
“Wright has an extensive history of offending and has caused a lot of distress to a lot of people through his behaviour while under the influence of drink and drugs.
“We hope this jail sentence provides reassurance to those people who came across Wright and were threatened by him.
“It certainly demonstrates that police and the courts take seriously breaches of criminal behaviour orders, which are imposed to try to divert people from long-term offending.”