A British Transport Police officer has been found guilty of assault by beating after he grabbed a 15-year-old girl by the throat and put her in a headlock for dodging a train fare. The incident, captured on CCTV at Camden Road Underground station in September last year, showed PC Adrian Young, 48, violently restraining the teenager for 30 seconds.
The footage showed Young pushing the girl back through the ticket barrier, grabbing her throat, and shoving her against a machine before handcuffing and arresting her. He later de-arrested her at the scene. A member of the public who witnessed the attack made a complaint, leading to an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The IOPC sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, and on Thursday, PC Young was convicted at Westminster Magistrates' Court. The IOPC also found that he should face a gross misconduct hearing for allegedly breaching police standards of professional behaviour, and they will work with British Transport Police to progress disciplinary proceedings.
Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan said: 'I'd like to be absolutely clear that the actions of PC Young during this incident were appalling, demonstrating a completely unnecessary and unacceptable use of force against a child which has seen him be convicted of assault today.'
IOPC Director Emily Barry added: 'All police officers are trained to use force that is necessary, proportionate and reasonable in the circumstances. On this occasion, there was no lawful reason for the force used by PC Young, which could have resulted in serious injuries, particularly as he was dealing with a child who was considerably smaller than him.'
