Former policeman jailed for assault

A former policeman, who has been jailed for eight weeks for assaulting a suspect, brought shame on Nottinghamshire Police, a judge said.

Tim Allatt, 33, from Bingham, is appealing the sentence but was refused bail by District Judge Diane Baker on Wednesday pending that appeal.

Allatt, who at the time was a constable with the firearm's unit but served in Newark and Ollerton, was found guilty of assault following a two-day trial last month.

He has been dismissed from the force for another matter.

District Judge Baker decided he had assaulted Jake Bramley during his arrest in Sneinton last year by hitting him in the face, pushing him roughly to the floor and then kicking him while he was on the ground.

Mr Bramley suffered a collapsed lung.

Another officer, Pc Daniel Moss reported the incident after he became concerned Allatt may have used unnecessary force and gave evidence against him during the trial.

At Mansfield Magistrates' Court today, Judge Baker acknowledged Allatt was of previous good character and this was a first offence but said the level of violence used was "gratuitous."

She made reference to comments by Damian Kelly, defending, made in the trial that the public deserved officers like Allatt.

"The public do not deserve officers like you," she told Allatt.

"You were a public servant and the public have a right to expect that when a person is detained that will be done with a minimal amount of force."

She said Allatt had "brought shame on the Nottinghamshire Constabulary" and actions like his damaged the reputation of the force.

"You were a serving police officer at the time and this was an assault on a member of the public by a police officer and a total abuse of position and a gross abuse of trust," she said.

The judge praised Pc Moss and said he was the kind of officer the public did deserve and said he had shown great courage.

In mitigation, Mr Kelly had said jailing his client would be detrimental to Allat's wife Anna and their two-year-old twin girls.

Allatt had claimed he used a police distraction technique known as a palm heel strike on Mr Bramley before taking him to the floor in a controlled way.

Speaking afterwards, Detective Chief Inspector Mick Windmill-Jones, of the Nottinghamshire Police Professional Standards Directorate, said: “Officers are fully trained to use appropriate restraint when carrying out an arrest, and in this case Allatt acted outside the code of conduct by using excessive force.

“His actions caused injury to another person and failed to meet the highest standards of behaviour, integrity and professionalism that we expect from our officers and staff.

“The sentence today reflects Allatt’s total lack of regard for his responsibility to protect the public and was an abuse of his position.”