WIREDGOV

A Sussex Police officer who knocked down a man using a pedestrian crossing while driving on the wrong side of the road has pleaded guilty to careless driving.

PC Russell Kyle entered the plea at Hove Crown Court on 21 January 2019 and was given a conditional discharge.

He was originally prosecuted for dangerous driving, but the charge was later substituted for the lesser offence of careless driving.

He was appearing in court following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation launched in September 2017.

On 19 September 2017, shortly after 6pm, the man, in his 50s, was struck by a police car on Kings Road, Brighton and suffered broken ribs and cuts to the face.

PC Kyle had been attending an emergency incident and his car’s blue lights and sirens had been activated.

The incident was referred to us on 20 September 2017 and an investigation was launched. We completed our investigation in March 2018 and referred a file to the Crown Prosecution Service who authorised the charge.

We have also passed our final report which concludes PC Kyle may have committed grossmisconduct to Sussex Police who have agreed and a misconduct hearing will be scheduled in due course.