Three Met Police officers deny assaulting 17-year-old in South London
24 October 2022, 14:49
Three Met Police officers who stand accused of attacking a 17-year-old boy after following him off a bus in South London have denied assault in court today.
Sergeant Dave Mattock, 36, Acting Sergeant Callum Ferguson, 26, and PC Jack Beadle, 26, from the force's South West Command Unit all stand accused of assault by beating.
They appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court today, where they pleaded not guilty to the incident from April 2.
The police trio boarded a bus in Tooting, South London, to pursue a suspect before he ran off, the court heard today. The teenager, 17, was then allegedly pushed towards a parked car, MyLondon reported.
The teen was then restrained and arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.
Following a complaint, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation into the incident and the three officers were charged on suspicion of using excessive course.
The three officers were released on unconditional bail by District Judge John Zani. A two-day trial is now set for February 13 next year.
A spokesperson for the IOPC said last week: "Our investigation followed a referral by the MPS in April after it received a complaint that excessive force was used by the officers.
"In September we passed a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charges contrary to Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988."
