Originally Posted by dboy

I would have thought with 19 years of service you would have enough appreciation of the difficulties of the job to cut the fired sarge some slack and see his actions for what they were.

Originally Posted by dboy

I never said he had a right to do what he did. I'm not suggesting that what he did was acceptable, clearly it wasn't, but should not have resulted in a jail term or even the loss of his job (assuming that was a one-off). I have no idea what the set up is in the UK cells and what procedures in place for what he's supposed to do, but if someone is being non-compliant and wont walk to cells what is one supposed to do?

Any force used has to be reasonable. He dragged her to the cell which may have been reasonable in the circumstances. The act of violently throwing a drunken woman to the floor thereby causing her an injury that split the whole skin requiring her to have stitches is not and could never be reasonable force. This is a non argument - he knew the rules he deided not to comply with them. Remember his victim' is a 57 year old female not anyone that was a danger to him, and remember this was inside a Police Station and not on the street!

I once arrested a female shop lifter with warrants at Walmart who refused to come with me, i dragged her through the store much like in the youtube video and had to fight with her in to the police car, it could easily have resulted in a similar injury (i had no back up incidentally due to priority calls and was alone).

We've all been in siuations like that, the difference between your incident and this custody sergeant was that he was not in fear for his safety he just lost his cool. You are on your own and therefore vulnerable, the sergeant is in a police station with many other officers nearby - he was not in a vulnerable situation and his actions cannot and should not be justified.

I think the UK has become too politically correct and once we stop recognising the difficulties associated with the job and stop making allowances we have totally lost perspective. We are, after all human, and yes we are held to higher standard. He could have been given a non-custodial sentence and the same point would have been made.

Originally Posted by respecttradition

This is not about being too PC this is about an appropriate sentence for someone who criminally assaulted a female. His sentence was given as he was in a position of trust at the time of the offence. This compoundes the severity of the crime and therefore gives the judge no alternative than to impose a custodial sentence. The custody sergeant had choices, he chose the wrong one and now pays the penalty for it!

Originally Posted by respecttradition

My word we really have rattled your cage haven't we! You have 14 years service, I applaud you - before I QUIT as you call it I completed 19 years Police service in England before moving to Canada so by my reckoning you have a few years to go to catch me up. Your attitude is one of the reasons I'm glad I'm not associated to the Police anymore - you should be ashamed of yourself!

Originally Posted by Pompeyboy

Just watched the video and yes he is heavy handed. What right does he have to throw anyone to the concrete floor like that? He could have put her in the cell and walked away. If that was your wife/girlfriend/ significant other then you would want his balls on a plate. It was an assault resulting in the female, who as we heard was intoxicated, needing several stitches to a wound that she didnt have before she got to the custody centre. He should have stayed behind his desk. I'm not suggesting that he wasnt tired, frustrated or whatever was floating his boat that day but he cannot behave like that.
And you are dead right there is a stark difference between police punishment in the UK and here in Canada, I was once suspended for 7 months for 3 inappropriate joke e-mails and thought I would lose my job so I can understand your thinking, but what he did was not right and certainly not what he is paid to do.
Maybe he will appeal and get his job back and hopefully if he does he has learnt his lesson. There is a very thin line we tread every time we go out to work but he lost his temper resulting in a pretty nasty injury to the girl and that is the sort of thing we are paid to prevent, prosecute and bring to justice.

Originally Posted by dreadsoc

Hey Pompey boy

Which UK force were you in?

Dread - x

Originally Posted by Pompeyboy

just over 12 years with Hampshire.

Originally Posted by dreadsoc

Hi Pompeyboy

Should've known by the name. Hello to a fellow ex Hants officer !
I presume you're a Pompey supporter from the name - Many years ago I used to police the games at Fratton Park - was a bit hairy in the late 80s!!!!

Hope things in Canada are working out for you.

Dread - x

Originally Posted by respecttradition

His actions amount to a criminal assault - assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
...
He was properly charged and received an appropriate sentence for someone in his position who should know better - 6 months imprisonment. He now has a deserved criminal conviction and quite rightly will be dismissed from his job. Police Officers have to be people of moral and good character and therefore having a criminal cnviction against rightly precludes you from being a Police Officer.
He made bad choices and now must pay the penalty for those choices.
I don't have sympathy for him, if he cannot control his temper against a 57 year old female then he has no place being a copper.

Originally Posted by stewie_griffin

And to cap it all, the guilty man has now been found err... innocent. Get out the 'no crime' pro-formas
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-11787126