By Tony O’Reilly-
A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer has further brought the force to disrepute, after being found guilty of assaulting a woman during a fare evasion operation in Croydon last July.
PC Perry Lathwood,(pictured) of the Roads and Transport Policing Command, was convicted following a one-day trial at City of London Magistrates’ Court, with the verdict delivered at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
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His conviction raises the likelihood he will be jailed at his sentencing.
The officer “manhandled” Jocelyn Agyemang in Croydon in front of her young son last July, the trial heard.
During the arrest, Lathwood, from Norman’s Bay, East Sussex also called Ms Agyemang a “daft cow”.
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Ms Agyemang told the court she felt “very violated” and was left with pain in her wrist and a bruised shoulder.
Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram at Westminster Magistrates’ Court said it was “not necessary to grab the woman’s arm, arrest her and handcuff her”.
“There were not reasonable grounds to suggest arrest was necessary,” the judge added.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist described the conviction as a significant setback in the MPS’s efforts to rebuild trust with the public.
The incident, which involved a mother and her child, was widely condemned, with many expressing outrage over the footage of the altercation.
“This verdict is a huge setback to our ability to rebuild trust with Londoners,” said Assistant Commissioner Twist. “We will learn the lessons from this and we apologise to the woman and the wider community who were deeply affected.”
Twist acknowledged the challenging nature of fare evasion operations, which often place officers in potentially confrontational situations.
Following the incident, the MPS ceased its involvement in supporting Transport for London (TfL) fare evasion operations, although it continues to maintain a presence on the bus network to tackle violent crime.
PC Lathwood’s sentencing is scheduled for June 14. Despite the conviction, the MPS has expressed continued support for Lathwood and the broader police workforce, emphasizing the importance of officers having the confidence to act decisively.
“Anyone who has seen the footage of this incident will be upset by how it escalated into a traumatic situation for a mother and her child,” Twist added. “Despite today’s conviction, we will continue to support the officer and continue to support our workforce, to ensure officers have the confidence to act decisively and make arrests when they believe they have the powers to do so.”
He also addressed the future of PC Lathwood within the MPS, indicating that an accelerated misconduct hearing might be considered pending the outcome of any potential appeal.
“When an officer is convicted of a criminal offence, their conviction will often be considered at an accelerated misconduct hearing as soon as possible after proceedings have finished.
In this case, we will wait to hear if PC Lathwood will appeal the conviction, and work to fully understand the decision of the court and its implications for policing.”
The MPS aims to use this incident as a learning opportunity to improve its engagement with the public and uphold its values of empathy, integrity, respect, courage, and accountability.
“The Met will continue to work with communities to transform our culture and improve how we engage with all Londoners,” Twist affirmed.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the MPS in maintaining public trust and the critical need for transparent and accountable policing practices.
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