Son of Derbyshire's Police and Crime Commissioner jailed after smashing £400 TV in his parents' bedroom

The son of Derbyshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has been jailed.
Sherinder Dhindsa. Picture provided by Derbyshire Constabulary.Sherinder Dhindsa. Picture provided by Derbyshire Constabulary.
Sherinder Dhindsa. Picture provided by Derbyshire Constabulary.

Sherinder Dhindsa, 31, picked up a £400 LED smart TV in his frightened parents' bedroom and threw it at a radiator, smashing it to pieces.

His father Hardyal Dhindsa - who became the county’s PCC in 2016 - said he and his wife had no choice but to press charges as it was the latest in a string of alcohol-fuelled incidents involving their son.

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Southern Derbyshire magistrates' court heard how Sherinder Dhindsa became 'addicted' to alcohol after splitting from his partner and taking over a pub.

Hardyal Dhindsa, Derbyshire's Police and Crime Commissioner.Hardyal Dhindsa, Derbyshire's Police and Crime Commissioner.
Hardyal Dhindsa, Derbyshire's Police and Crime Commissioner.

The incident involving the TV happened at his parents' home in Somme Road, Allestree, on November 30.

Prosecutor Mark Fielding said: "On this particular evening, he had been drinking again, which rather disappointed his parents.

"He was making various threats to them so they adopted their usual tactic of disengaging with him by retreating to their bedroom.

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"He followed them and they continued to ignore him. He then turned his attention to a television. He initially put his fist through the screen and continued to generate an argument with his parents.

"He then picked the TV up and threw it at a radiator, smashing it into pieces."

According to Mr Fielding, Mr and Mrs Dhindsa were so 'frightened' they called the police and had their son arrested.

They also applied for a restraining order as they have 'simply had enough'.

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Hardyal Dhindsa provided a statement to the court that explained their decision to press charges.

It said: "We still love him. I want to help him – we want our son back but we can't have him living with us for our own safety.

"We do want to support him but in a structured way outside of our home.

"We hope he continues to get help for his addiction and problems inside his head.

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"We still want to have contact with him. We just don't want him to come to our own home."

Magistrates imposed a two-year restraining order on Sherinder Dhindsa which prohibits him from going to his parents' house.

He was also jailed for eight weeks. In addition, magistrates activated an 11-week suspended sentence handed to him during a previous court appearance after he was charged for refusing to take a police breathalyser test following a car accident in September.

It means Sherinder Dhindsa received a 19-week prison sentence in total.

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Following the court hearing, Hardyal Dhindsa said of his son's sentencing: "This is a personal matter for my son who will of course take responsibility for, and accept the consequences of, his actions.

"Those consequences are, rightly, a matter for the criminal justice system. That is as it should be and I hope that you understand that I do not wish to say anything further about this incident.

"However, I am clear that as a society we should help those addicted to alcohol or drugs so that they can rehabilitate and overcome their dependences.

"This is why I will continue to call for more resources to be invested in local and national support programmes. Enforcement alone will never solve the problem, this is a health issue which unfortunately can turn into police matter.

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"As I'm sure you will appreciate this has been a particularly stressful time for my family and we would all be grateful to have some privacy in which we can come to terms with recent events."

During the court proceedings, defence solicitor Pardeep Kalyan appealed for Sherinder Dhindsa to be spared jail.

He told the court: "Rehab is something he knows he needs. He went into a rehabilitation unit last year. It did work for a short period of time but unfortunately he relapsed.

"He has been living with his parents for most of his life. There have been ups and downs – that happens in most houses.

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"He appears to be at a point where he is no longer welcome at that address but that is not the end of the relationship.

"He knows alcohol has to be defeated and he is keen for it not to win over him."

Presiding magistrate Keith Robinson explained to Sherinder Dhindsa why he was being sent to prison.

He said: "This incident was carried out only 10 days after a suspended sentence was given to you. You would have been fully aware of what would happen if you failed to stay out of trouble.

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"Therefore, we are going to activate the suspended sentence and add a further eight weeks (for the criminal damage). That amounts to 19 weeks. You will serve half of the time in custody and the rest on licence."