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Police officer jailed for assault

Fustis | 18.10.2002 12:04

PC Keith Empsall, 42, assaulted Christopher Wilson, 27, after being called to a disturbance in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, in June last year.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2339581.stm

A policeman who was filmed kicking and punching a man he was trying to arrest has been given a two-month prison sentence.
PC Keith Empsall, 42, assaulted Christopher Wilson, 27, after being called to a disturbance in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, in June last year.

Empsall was convicted of common assault last month following a three day trial.

He was sentenced at Leeds Magistrates Court on Friday, but freed on bail pending an appeal.

Self-defence claim

Empsall, who is in his 24th year of service with West Yorkshire Police, denied a charge of common assault against Mr Wilson.

However, a film of the arrest, taken by amateur cameraman Mark Goodwin, was shown in court.

Empsall said that he acted in self-defence.

Giving evidence last month he said: "I wanted to effect the arrest as best I could.

"I wanted to go home at the end of the shift to my wife and children without being injured."

District Judge Christopher Darnton dismissed the defence saying there was no sign of Mr Wilson fighting back against the officer.
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About time that officers that break the law got punished.
Usually it gets covered up by 'senior' officers, which is itself an offence.
Wonder what the sentence would be for an 'ordinary' member of the public filmed assaulting somebody?

Fustis
- Homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Police_Misbehaviour

Comments

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Sentence

22.11.2003 12:35

If you would take a second to view any local paper on any evening I think you'd find that a 'normal member of the public' wouldn't have even gone to court for this sort of minor assault.
This man was jailed due to his proffesion not the offence.
I for one am glad that men like him are willing to protect me (would you like to do it ?)

There are no doubt many bad apples in the Police as there are in the public.

IMHO

G