A former Dorset police officer has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm after intervening to detain a suspected shoplifter. Lorne Castle, 47, is accused of seriously injuring Daniel Meyrick during an altercation outside the Castlepoint shopping centre in Bournemouth, Dorset, on June 19, 2025.
The ex-officer was pictured detaining the suspected shoplifter outside the Nike store in an action described in reports at the time as a 'citizen's arrest'. In the image, Mr Castle appeared to be pinning the man to the ground with his arm locked behind his back.
The incident occurred a couple of weeks after Castle left his role as a police constable for Dorset Police. Castle was later investigated by Thames Valley Police over the incident, and has since been charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
The former officer now faces a charge of causing grievous bodily harm without intent to Mr Meyrick. He is accused of 'unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm' upon the alleged victim, according to the charge, brought under section 20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
Castle has been instructed to appear in the dock for the first time on May 27 at Reading Magistrates' Court.
