Two former Sussex Police officers exonerated of common assault
Both have won appeals against their convictions for using PAVA spray on an arrested man
A former Sussex Police officer has said he felt a 'wave of relief' after he and a colleague successfully appealed their convictions for common assault.
Former PCs Dan Lott and Dan Groves had been convicted in May 2023 after an incident in Bognor Regis in which the pair used PAVA incapacitant spray on a suspect.
It happened while they were transporting an arrested man to custody on May 29th, 2022.
The pair were subsequently dismissed from the force at a sentencing hearing in July 2023.
Both men challenged their conviction at Hove Crown Court, which upheld their appeals on Tuesday (October 8th) - meaning they will no longer stand.
According to the Sussex Police Federation, the judge in the appeal case said he was surprised “that it was ever thought appropriate to charge two decent young men with this offence”.
Daniel Groves said:
“It just feels like a wave of relief now that a judge has not only found in our favour but made the comments he did. He clearly felt very strongly and it’s a vindication really.”
Daniel Lott added:
“It was really difficult to have my integrity and everything I stood for – my values, my ethics – challenged, when I just knew it wasn’t me.
"I’m just incredibly grateful for the right outcome.”
During the incident, one of the arrested men repeatedly kicked the police van’s doors on the journey to custody and was in danger of harming himself.
After he ignored repeated requests from the officers to stop, they deployed their PAVA spray.
Sussex Police Federation Branch Secretary Andy Standing assisted the officers during the whole process.
He said:
"These officers were placed in an impossible position because of the poor state of resourcing on the front line in Sussex Police, compounded by the fact that this incident was reviewed by PSD officers and CPS solicitors with little or no understanding of use of force as well as the external factors the officers had to deal with.
"As a result, these two upstanding officers have had their names and reputations dragged through the mud. They both have young families and lost their jobs after merely doing the right thing and using the lowest form of force possible in the circumstances.
"I am pleased the right decision has now been reached and echo the comments made by HHJ Gold in that we expressed surprise and concern at the outset of this incident that the officers were ever placed on a criminal investigation.
"I now look forward to working with Sussex Police to right the wrong that these officers have suffered."
Sussex Police has said it respects the decision and will now 'take full account of the observations made in court'.