Former Pc cleared of assault on appeal

A former policeman embraced his wife in court after being cleared on appeal of assaulting a suspect.

Ex-Pc Tim Allatt, of Bingham, had his conviction for assault quashed at Nottingham Crown Court today at the end of a two-day appeal, and immediately hugged his wife Anna.

Mr Allatt was found guilty of assaulting Jake Bramley while arresting him in Sneinton by a district judge at trial in September.

He was jailed for eight weeks but released pending appeal.

Today, High Court Judge, Mr Justice Flaux, sitting with two justices, concluded the former Newark officer had used reasonable force in restraining and detaining Mr Bramley.

Mr Justice Flaux said he was unable to accept the entirety of the evidence of another officer who was there, Pc Daniel Moss and believed he may have become confused as to where he was positioned and what he saw.

During his trial, Mr Allatt said he used a police distraction technique known as a palmheel strike before taking Mr Bramley to the floor in a controlled way.

Mr Bramley was later treated at the Queen’s Medical Centre for injuries including a punctured lung and grazing to his face, although the court heard the injuries could not be proved to have been caused by Mr Allatt.

When he was sentenced, Nottinghamshire Police said Mr Allatt had shown a "total lack of regard for his responsibility to protect the public."

Deputy Chief Constable Chris Eyre said today: “Tim Allatt exercised his judicial right to appeal his conviction. It is important that Nottinghamshire Police acknowledges and supports the court’s decision.

“Before Mr Allatt’s criminal case came to trial, he was dismissed from the Force over a separate and unrelated assault on a member of the public. He is no longer and will not be an employee of Nottinghamshire Police.”

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