Wiltshire officer sentenced after assaulting 13-year-old
A Wiltshire Police officer has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting assaulting a 13-year-old boy outside a police station, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
PC Daniel Rusling was sentenced at Bristol Magistrates’ Court to eight weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 150 hours of unpaid work, after admitting one count of assault by beating.
The incident took place in the early hours of 14 October 2025 at Monkton Park police station in Chippenham, where the boy was among a group of six children who had called 999 for police help after reporting they had been threatened. According to the IOPC, PC Rusling swore at and pushed the boy multiple times, then pulled him by his clothing towards the car park exit, after the teenager had stood in front of a police car to prevent it leaving. The boy was not injured.
The IOPC opened an independent investigation after Wiltshire Police made a mandatory conduct referral in October 2025. A file was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service in April, which authorised the charge.
IOPC Director of Engagement Derrick Campbell said the officer’s initial response was justified but that his subsequent conduct was “a wholly disproportionate response,” describing the behaviour as persistent rather than a momentary loss of temper.
The investigation found PC Rusling also has a case to answer for gross misconduct. Wiltshire Police will now hold a misconduct hearing.