Police officer jailed for assault
Fustis | 18.10.2002 12:04
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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
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