Police officer fined for assault during wrongful bus fare arrest
A Metropolitan Police officer has been fined £1,500 for assaulting a woman when he wrongfully arrested her for bus fare evasion in front of her young son.
Perry Lathwood "manhandled" Jocelyn Agyemang in Croydon, his trial heard.
During the arrest, Lathwood, from Norman’s Bay, East Sussex, called Ms Agyemang as a "daft cow", Westminster Magistrates Court heard.
Ms Agyemang previously told the court she felt "very violated" during the arrest and was left with pain in her wrist and a bruised shoulder.
Lathwood was found guilty of assault in May and was sentenced on Friday.
During the trial, Paul Jarvis, prosecuting, said Ms Agyemang was dropping her son off at her mother’s house on 21 July before heading to an appointment in Marylebone scheduled for 12:30 BST.
After she and her son disembarked the bus at about 11:00, she was asked to show she had paid her fare by a bus inspector.
"She does not hand it over and she walks off," Mr Jarvis told the court.
"It is at this moment that PC Lathwood becomes involved."
He said Lathwood put a hand on her, but she moved away, so he then grabbed her arm and arrested her for fare evasion.
A crowd gathered, with people filming the officer and asking him why he had arrested her.
Mr Jarvis said Lathwood continued to hold her, demanding she tap her Oyster card. He also handcuffed her.
Another officer took her Oyster card from her hand and went away with it to see if she had paid.
She was de-arrested at the scene after the force confirmed Ms Agyemang had paid her fare.
Matt Twist, the Met’s Assistant Commissioner, said after Lathwood’s conviction that it was a "huge setback to our ability to rebuild trust with Londoners".
The force said it would consider a misconduct hearing after Lathwood, who has been on restricted duties, had decided whether to appeal against his conviction.
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