Officer sacked for unlawful force after subjecting man on night-out to `risk of death`

One of the three officers accused of launching an unprovoked and “potentially lethal” attack on a man as he walked home from a night out has been dismissed, despite being found not guilty of assault.

Sergeant Jason Moody and Police Constables Carl Hollman and Edward Griffiths were accused of subjecting Joseph Kamano, 48, to “unlawful and/or excessive” force at a public misconduct hearing.

The three Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers – all based in Hounslow borough – denied a breach of the force`s Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of; Honesty and Integrity, Use of Force, Duties and Responsibilities, Orders and Instructions, and Discreditable Conduct.

The panel decided that allegations against Sgt Moody were proven as gross misconduct, and he was dismissed without notice.

The allegations against PCs Hollman and Griffiths were proven as misconduct only. The former is to be given management advice and the latter a written warning.

Pravin Fernando, representing the MPS, told the hearing that the officers’ use of force put Mr Kamano at risk “of injury or death”.

Mr Kamano was left with a fractured finger as well as injuries to his head, he told the panel.

During the disciplinary hearing in Fulham, Mr Kamano told the panel he suffered “excruciating pain” during the incident in Hounslow High Street in the early hours of November 23, 2013.

He said: “I did not really know what was happening. I felt some blows to the back of my head, probably about five or six. I was asking ‘why?’ Someone kept saying ‘leave him, he hasn’t done anything’. I was pushed back to the fence.

“I kept asking them ‘what are you doing?’ They kept telling me to shut up. I was lifted up by the handcuffs. I remember excruciating pain. I wasn’t told if I was under arrest. If they hadn’t been in uniform I would have thought I was being attacked by a gang. It was incomprehensible.”

The misconduct panel was shown CCTV footage of Sgt Moody appearing to continuously push Mr Kamano into a metal fence, causing him to fall to the ground. The officers then appear to strike Mr Kamano a number of times before handcuffing and arresting him.

Sgt Moody and Pc Hollman are also accused of false claims in their accounts of the incident, including that Mr Kamano was “confrontational”.

The hearing was told Mr Kamano became involved after trying to console a woman in the street upset by her boyfriend being arrested, which led to one officer pushing him.

Mr Kamano dismissed custody reports he was “behaving erratically” and “intoxicated by alcohol and possibly drugs”, telling the panel he was “merry” but “not drunk”.

The 11-day hearing comes 15 months after a court case at the Old Bailey cleared the three officers of assault charges relating to the incident, and two cleared of perverting the course of justice.