Special Constable Guilty Of ‘Excessive’ Assault On Soldier
Possibly the first actual use for the tens of thousands of CCTV cameras which film our every move. Lance Corporal Mark Aspinall, veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, was on the end of a good old fashioned kicking by Special Constable Peter Lightfoot and his fellow officers after a night out. “Violent, excessive and unjustified” said the police watchdog. He’s been convicted of assault and will be sentenced on Sept 1st.
On July 27, 2008 outside a bar in Wigan, Greater Manchester. Lightfoot was filmed pushing Aspinall’s head into the ground and striking him with a police helmet.
Not just pushing Aspinall’s head into the ground – Lightfoot was filmed rubbing his face & chin against the tarmac repeatedly.
Bad publicity for the police straight after the Ian Tomlinson affair.
Which Police watchdog was that? Thought I heard on the radio last week that this was yet another incident of no charges being brought.
My bad Banned, sorry. I forgot the linky. I’ll add it to the post too. Cheers.
Ta, just followed the link, made much more sense!
So first they put the victim through hell in court to cover their arses. Twice, because Aspinall was first convicted and that was quashed on appeal. It was
Judge John Phipps watching the damning CCTV footage who quashed the verdict on appeal.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1090655/Arrest–assault-Judges-disgust-soldier-held-hit-times-POLICE.html#ixzz0vWedmbey
Next, they suffer a powder-puffing from the IPCC, who finally pass a file to the CPS, who bury it in peat for three months, and eventually even they have to take it to court as they can’t, this time, think of a way to keep it out.
But what do you know, it’s pinned on a Special (rightly) while the regulars get off.
Now, smashing a man in the head might sound bad, but for a law wonk the more serious aspect is the perjury which Lightfoot committed at the Appeal, when he tried to make sure that Aspinall stayed stitched by lying.
“SC Lightfoot was found guilty of a separate charge of perjury in relation to evidence he gave at Mr Aspinall’s appeal hearing in November 2008. He will be sentenced in relation to both offences on 1 September.”
http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/news/pr_020810_lightfoot.htm
His co-workers were cleared.
“Sgt Stephen Russell and Pc Richard Kelsall, were found not guilty of Section 47 assault and perverting the course of justice in relation to the same incident.”
(My other leg plays the theme from Z-Cars)
I await with interest the penalty which Lightfoot will face on 1st September for perjury and hope to compare it with other perjury penalties. Must check how long were Archer and Aitken given for similar offences in civil cases where no screaming victims were pinned down by the assailant’s mates while having their heads kicked in.
I have absolutely no sympathy for the copper at all. The assault is bad enough but the perjury is worse. 5 years at least is what I’m hoping for.
There was a case a few years ago across here where a man in the back of a police van “stumbled” a few times on his way to the station. Three policemen were later charged with assault, or similar.
Two pled Not Guilty, one admitted it and said that all three of them had taken a pop at the bloke. The two who claimed they’d been looking out of the window as passing unicorns were both acquitted and the other guy was convicted – with all of the career and pension loss which came with that. No regard seemed to be given to the fact that they couldn’t all be telling the truth.
‘s a funny old world sometimes.
Assault can be a rush of blood possibly; deliberate and calculated perjury casts a light on a man’s inner self. A complete betrayal of trust and the book must be thrown hard.