Policeman who punched woman sentenced to community order
Press Association
theguardian.com,
Tuesday 11 March 2014
A policeman who punched a suspected shoplifter in the head before pinning her to the ground has been sentenced to a community order.
PC James Kiddie, 45, was sentenced on Tuesday, after being found guilty last month of common assault on Sarah Reed, 30.
District judge Elizabeth Roscoe told Kiddie at a hearing at Westminster magistrates' court in central London: "This was no shrinking violet, this woman, but, as a police officer, obviously higher standards are required from you."
Kiddie had been called to the Uniqlo clothing store in Regent Street, after Reed was held by security guards in November 2012, the court was told.
He told the court that a "snarling" Reed had bitten him on the finger and claimed that she had the Aids virus.
CCTV footage played to the court showed him pushing her into a chair, grabbing her by the hair and hitting her on the head as she lay on the floor, before leaning on her neck until back-up arrived.
Roscoe, sentencing Kiddie to a 150-hour community order, said she accepted that his actions had been "an instinctive and immediate retaliation in anger".
Prosecutor Rupert Kent told the court that Kiddie had no previous convictions, but the Met officer had two previous disciplinary findings of "incivility" against him on his police record.
Kiddie was also ordered to pay £500 in prosecution costs, and a £60 victim surcharge.
His defence counsel, Ben Brandon, told the court he would be dismissed from the Metropolitan police as a result of the court's findings.
Scotland Yard said fellow officers who had viewed the CCTV footage had been concerned by the level of force used by Kiddie during the arrest and had reported the incident to the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards.
Finding Kiddie guilty of assault last month, Roscoe said the officer had not been acting in self-defence when he aimed three punches but in "anger and retaliation".
On Tuesday, she said that evidence on CCTV and of witnesses was that Reed – described in court as a drug addict who was later convicted of shoplifting – was a difficult and aggressive woman who had become more aggressive when the police officer arrived.
Victoria Hatton, of Neumans LLP, solicitors for Reed, said her client had been the victim of a brutal attack by a serving police officer.
"As seen in the video footage played to the court, PC Kiddie threw Ms Reed to the floor, where a light bulb smashed and caused her to suffer a 2cm laceration to her lower back, this was followed by three powerful strikes aimed at Ms Reed's head," she said in a statement.
"There was absolutely no justification for the officer's use of force and the court agreed that PC Kiddie acted in 'anger' with actions being described by the judge as 'instinctive' and 'immediate' as there was no pause by him for reassessment."
The Met's territorial policing assistant commissioner Simon Byrne said: "Police officers join the Met to protect and serve the public. Today his colleagues will be sickened by what they see.
"PC Kiddie's behaviour that day, which was identified and reported by another officer, was wrong. For that he has been held accountable. There is no place in the Metropolitan police service for officers and staff who do not uphold our values."
The Met said in a statement that Kiddie was the subject of two substantiated complaints – in 2008 for lack of courtesy and respect and in 2011 for discriminatory comments.
He was also due to face a misconduct meeting this month with regard to the discharge of CS gas at a demonstration in January 2011, the Met added. This process will be reviewed following Tuesday's hearing.
"We will be reviewing the process behind the previous complaints faced by PC Kiddie and also examine if there were any other opportunities which may have been missed to have started criminal proceedings prior to the issue being raised by the officer who viewed the CCTV in May 2013," the statement said.
"PC Kiddie has been suspended and he will be subject to a special misconduct hearing as soon as the police regulations allow."
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) ruled last year that Kiddie, from Ruislip, west London, should face a misconduct hearing following the CS gas incident.
A spokesman said: "After asking the Metropolitan police service to reinvestigate complaints relating to the use of CS spray at a demonstration in London in January 2011, the IPCC upheld a second appeal from a number of complainants.
"The evidence showed that an officer sprayed protesters at close proximity within a crowded area, in breach of Acpo guidance on the use of CS spray.
"When an officer does that, their decision to use the spray must come under the closest scrutiny.
"Having viewed all the available evidence, the IPCC felt there was insufficient justification for his actions.
"We have now asked the (Met) to hold a misconduct meeting for the officer and to review why no paperwork was filled out following use of the spray."
