Metropolitan Police Officer cleared of assault following trial

29 Oct 2019 02:27 PM

A Metropolitan Police officer has been cleared of assaulting a member of the public during a demonstration earlier this year.

PC Connor Pennery, 28 was appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court having been charged with common assault following an IOPC investigation. The investigation begun after the Metropolitan Police Service reviewed body worn video and other footage of an incident involving PC Pennery and referred the matter to the IOPC.

Regional Director for London Sal Naseem, yesterday said:

“The footage captured by PC Pennery’s body worn video, and that of his colleagues, raised a number of questions about his conduct when detaining a protestor. In these circumstances it is right and proper that for public confidence an independent investigation is conducted. Upon reviewing the evidence we gathered the Crown Prosecution Service charged the officer and today a District Judge has found him not guilty of assault.”

PC Pennery was on duty at a demonstration on Saturday 16 February 2019 in central London, when he and a number of other officers became involved in a confrontation with protestors on Haymarket at around 3.20pm. During this incident a protestor punched PC Pennery before running off along Jermyn Street, pursued by PC Pennery and several other officers, where he was detained. While the man was on the floor restrained by PC Pennery and two other officers, video footage showed PC Pennery punched the man four times in the face and also used an elbow strike. 

The IOPC investigation was concluded in July and referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, who authorised a charge of common assault the following month.

The Metropolitan Police Service agreed that PC Pennery has a case to answer for gross misconduct and they will schedule a hearing in due course. A second officer’s performance during the incident was found to be unsatisfactory and they have received action to address this.