Second man charged with assault after Chris Whitty incident in St James’s Park

Matt Hancock affair accusations
Chris Whitty
PA
Leah Sinclair6 July 2021

Jonathan Chew, 24, has been charged with common assault and obstructing police during a run-in with Britain’s most prominent scientist in St James’s Park on Sunday, June 27.

Appearing in the dock at Westminster magistrates court, Chew’s case was today adjourned until July 30 to be joined with a co-defendant, Lewis Hughes, 23, who has been charged with common assault.

The charges came after footage of the incident went viral on social media.

In the 20 second clip, two smiling men are seen grabbing Mr Whitty as they shout “Oi oi” and say “One photo please?”.

As Mr Whitty attempts to walk away, the men grab him again, while a voice is heard saying “leave the gentleman alone” before the clip ends.

Chris Whitty harassment
Chris Whitty was accosted by a group of men at St James’s Park
PA
Chris Whitty harassment
The incident sparked widespread criticism, with Boris Johnson and Nadhim Zahawi among those condemning the act
PA

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among those to hit out after the video was posted online.

Mr Johnson said: "I’m shocked at seeing the despicable harassment of chief medical officer Chris Whitty.”

Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi also condemned the video.

“This is disgusting and these thugs must be found and charged. Zero tolerance for harassing a public servant,” he said.

Prosecutor Luke Staton told the court today the CPS is conducting a high-level review of the case, to determine if the two defendants should face a different charge.

“The Crown is now considering the appropriateness of the assault charge, and whether there may be a different charge which more accurately reflects the alleged assault”, he said.

“It is a review of the status of the complainant, Professor Whitty, and whether he can be said to have been acting as an emergency worker at the time of the incident.”

She said “First and foremost I would like to apologise for any distress that the incident may have caused Mr Whitty.

“My son and his friend had been enjoying their day, having a few social drinks together when they spotted Mr Whitty.

“Realising who he was, and understanding how important he is to our country at this very moment, they wanted to get a picture with him.

“As with most celebrities and famous people, it is commonplace for the public to want a picture with them and you can clearly hear Jonathan asking for a picture with Mr Whitty.

She added that Jonathan, who has ADHD and autism, finds it difficult to read situations and “was not aware that his excitement at spotting Mr Whitty was causing any distress.”

“I hope Mr Whitty is feeling more at ease now that sufficient time has passed and he can continue with his job without distractions.”

She added: “Jonathan may have misread the situation but did not intend any harm at all.”

Chief Magistrates Paul Goldspring today agreed to release Chew on bail until the next hearing, calling it “shoddy” that he had been held in custody and presented to a court before the prosecution case had been finalised.

Chew, from Chelmsford, did not enter pleas to the two charges today.

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