Met Police officer’s conviction over assault of woman on bus quashed

A Metropolitan Police officer who was fined £1,500 for assault after wrongly arresting a woman for bus fare evasion has had his conviction quashed.

Pc Perry Lathwood had been convicted of the common assault of a woman who had been travelling on a bus in Croydon , south London , in June 2023.

The trial of the officer, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, was told that he grabbed the woman by the arm, causing bruising injuries during the arrest.

He was convicted on May 17 of this year and was aged 50 at the time of his sentencing in June.

Mr Lathwood, attached to the Metropolitan Police’s Road Traffic Policing Command, appealed against the conviction and it was quashed at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, the Metropolitan Police said.

A video of the incident was shared online, attracting significant public interest, police said.

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.”

Mr Lathwood remains on restricted duties pending the outcome of the misconduct process.

Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram, who had sentenced the officer, said at the time that Mr Lathwood had “crossed the line and got it wrong” but “it was not through bad faith”.

“In my judgment he made a momentary error of judgment as it were in the heat of the moment,” he said.

Met police officer's conviction over assault on woman on Croydon bus quashed

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