A Metropolitan Police officer who was fined £1,500 for assault after wrongly arresting a woman for bus fare evasion in Croydon has had his conviction quashed on appeal.
Pc Perry Lathwood, of the Roads and Transport Policing Command, was found previously guilty of common assault on May 17 following a trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
On Friday, his appeal was upheld at Southwark Crown Court.
The conviction related to an incident in June 2023 in Croydon where a woman who had been traveling on a bus was arrested on suspicion of fare evasion, with a video of the incident widely shared on social media.
Pc Perry Lathwood, attached to the Metropolitan Police’s Road Traffic Policing Command, grabbed Jocelyn Agyemang by the arm, causing bruising injuries during the arrest on July 21 last year in Whitehorse Road, Croydon, south London.
Ms Agyemang said the incident was “deeply humiliating and embarrassing” and that Lathwood had a “look of contempt in his eyes” that day, in a victim personal statement read out at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Also in the statement, she said the events had a “devastating effect” on her and her young son who have now both lost confidence in the police service.
Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram said: “On this occasion in my judgment the officer crossed the line and got it wrong.
“It was not through bad faith.
“He faced a passenger who I have previously described as difficult and challenging but in my judgment he made a momentary error of judgment as it were in the heat of the moment.”
The judge added that he did not find it was “an abuse of power”, but was instead a “mistake”.
PC Lathwood remains on restricted duties pending the outcome of the misconduct process.
His criminal conviction has now been dropped and a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said that “this decision must be respected”.
Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: “I recognise that this incident has divided opinions. The impact it had, particularly on black communities in Croydon and further afield, was significant.
“However, PC Lathwood has now been cleared by the criminal courts and that decision must be respected.
“We accept this incident was not handled perfectly and there is valuable learning to be taken from it. However we believe that could have been done through police misconduct mechanisms, not the courts.
“Officers do not shy away from scrutiny and recognise the importance of independent oversight.
“We will continue to push for a system of police accountability that officers can have confidence in – one which properly recognises the very challenging role they perform and the requirement on them to make fast decisions under pressure.”
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