No misconduct hearing for Gloucestershire Police officer
The Police Constable overturned an assault conviction
A police officer who was acquitted of common assault by beating after he appealed his conviction in a hearing at crown court at the end of May will no longer face any misconduct proceedings.
PC Richard Smith, age 50 and from Stroud, had been charged in connection with the use of force while detaining a man in Dursley on 22 November 2020.
He denied the charge and a District Judge at a hearing at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on 4 October last year found him guilty.
PC Smith was subsequently sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.
However, the officer chose to appeal the conviction and a hearing took place at Worcester Crown Court on Friday (27 May).
His appeal was upheld and a judge overturned the conviction.
Assistant Chief Constable Rhiannon Kirk said: “The ruling of the court found PC Smith’s use of force reasonable, and proportionate to his honestly held belief at the time.
“The observations of the court have now been fully considered and as a consequence PC Smith is no longer subject to Constabulary misconduct proceedings, faces no further disciplinary action and has been re-instated to duty.”