Cop headbutts barman while flouting Covid rules in boozy attack caught on CCTV

Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to the Daily Star’s newsletter

A Metropolitan Police officer who headbutted a cocktail bar manager after flouting the Covid "rule of six" has been spared jail.

PC Luke Wilson, 28, attacked Johnny White while on a boozy night out in the City of London with colleagues from the Lewisham emergency response unit on July 2 last year.

Wilson denied the offence but CCTV footage shows him headbutting the victim at Be At One cocktail bar in Monument.

Mr White allowed the officers entry to the venue but told them they would have to be seated across different tables in line with the restrictions.

Bar staff confronted the group of up to 25 off-duty colleagues for flouting the rules but were told to "lighten up", Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.

CCTV shows that by 8pm, some of the group have started moving between tables which resulted in ten people sitting at one of the tables.

The bar manager speaks to Wilson and explains that this isn't allowed.

He then approaches the group of ten and explains four of them will have to move to another table.

Wilson follows Mr White to the table but remains standing up.

The footage shows Wilson squaring up to the victim and putting his face within a few inches of the victim's.

Mr White steps backwards but the officer moves forward to close the gap between them, then headbutts him.

The victim suffered minor injuries and Wilson denied the offence when he was interviewed the next day, claiming he had felt threatened.

Wilson was shown CCTV footage of the victim standing with his hands in his back pockets and not appearing to be behaving aggressively towards him.

The PC, of Gravesend, Kent, was convicted of common assault following an investigation by the City of London Police.

He was sentenced to ten weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with 80 hours of community service.

The officer must also pay £700 in costs, pay £200 compensation to Mr White and pay a victim surcharge.

Temporary Detective Constable MacLennan, from the City of London Police, said: "This was an unprovoked assault on a victim who was simply trying to do his job.

"The victim felt he could trust the group due to their profession, but his trust in the police has now been damaged by this attack.

"I hope that the sentence passed down today brings some justice to the victim and demonstrates that no-one is exempt when it comes to upholding the law in the City."

Wilson joined the Houses of Parliament security team when he was 19, has a BTEC in public service, and was a special constable before signing up to the Met.

• London
• Crime
• MET Police

Source: Read Full Article