Police officers lose libel case over footage of them smashing up Mini during arrest

 
Smash-up: the officers today lost their libel claim over the footage
Robin de Peyer20 December 2013

Six police officers have lost a libel claim over a broadcast which showed them smashing up a car with a baseball bat during an arrest.

The film showed the men shouting "attack, attack" before smashing the car’s windows and denting its bodywork while arresting an 18-year-old suspect in Enfield.

The plain clothes officers can then be heard saying: “Get him on the floor” after the car’s windows had been shattered.

The officers, who were part of the now-disbanded Enfield Crime Squad, sued Channel 4 News and journalist Simon Israel over the network’s report, which was shown two years ago.

In the film, suspect Jonathan Billinghurst, who was behind the wheel of the car, said he thought he was the victim of a robbery, adding: "I hear a loud bang and the window to my left gets caved in and glass is just flying in my face.

“And then as I looked up, all I can see was just lots of baseball bats hitting and smashing my window, so I thought I was gonna be the victim of a car robbery. I thought I was gonna get dragged out and they just wanted to take the car.”

He went on: “I was practically beaten and dragged out of the vehicle. I could have been blinded with the glass flying everywhere..."

The officers remain employed by the Met after an investigation by watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which found that “officers acting in that way bring the police service into disrepute.”

Its report added: “You do not expect to see police officers smashing a car with a baseball bat. Whatever the threat they claimed to experience, their actions should be proportionate and reasonable – which in this case they plainly weren't."

A High Court judge has dismissed the libel claims lodged by the six police officers against both Channel 4 News and Simon Israel, in which they said the language used in the report suggested they had been dishonest during investigations into the incident.

Channel 4 News said in a statement today: "This judgement is an important victory for freedom of speech and reporting on matters in the public interest. The six police officers in question have already been found guilty of disreputable conduct for using excessive force to stop a car suspected of being stolen.

"It is disappointing that they chose to bring the proceedings in respect of a report of the investigation."

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