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A Metropolitan Police officer who was fined £1,500 for assault after wrongly arresting a woman for evading a bus fare in Croydon has had his conviction quashed on appeal.
Pc Perry Lathwood was found guilty of common assault after an incident in June 2023, when a woman had been travelling on a bus and was arrested on suspicion of avoiding the bus fare.
The incident was captured on camera and went viral on social media, with the woman de-arrested after it was proven that she had paid for her journey.
Following a trial at Westminster Magistrates Court, he was convicted of common assault, with the judge told that he had grabbed the woman by the arm, causing bruising injuries.
However, his appeal was upheld on Friday at Southwark Crown Court.
Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: “I recognise that this incident has divided opinions. The impact it had, particularly on Black communities in Croydon and further afield, was significant.
“However, PC Lathwood has now been cleared by the criminal courts and that decision must be respected.
“We accept this incident was not handled perfectly and there is valuable learning to be taken from it. However, we believe that could have been done through police misconduct mechanisms, not the courts.”
He remains on restricted duties pending the outcome of the misconduct process.
Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram, who had sentenced the officer, said at the time that Mr Lathwood had “crossed the line and got it wrong” but “it was not through bad faith”.
“In my judgement he made a momentary error of judgment as it were in the heat of the moment,” he said.
