Police officer from Sussex denies assaulting woman wrongly arrested

Pc Perry Lathwood stopped the woman after he thought she hadn't paid her bus fare

Author: George Lithgow, PAPublished 14th Feb 2024

A police officer from East Sussex has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a woman who was wrongly arrested for bus fare evasion in front of her young son.

Pc Perry Lathwood, 49, of Norman's Bay is charged with assaulting a woman causing bruising injuries to her arm during the arrest on July 21 last year in Whitehorse Road, Croydon, south London.

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard police officers were helping ticket inspectors on a bus in Croydon at the time.

The woman was with her young son and was carrying a scooter on the bus, the court was told.

She was "taken hold of by police", and the incident was recorded by members of the public, it is alleged.

She was later de-arrested when it was confirmed she had paid the fare.

Pc Lathwood, who is attached to the Metropolitan Police's Road Traffic Policing Command, appeared via video link wearing a white shirt and dark tie.

He entered a not guilty plea to the charge of assault by beating.

Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram sent the case to be heard at City of London Magistrates' Court on May 10.

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