Politics
Off-duty cop spared jail after he grabbed woman round the neck as she walked alone quits force
A COP who was spared jail after he drunkenly attacked a woman on a dark street has quit the force.
PC Oliver Banfield, 25, was seen on CCTV assaulting Emma Homer while she walked home in Warwickshire at 1am last July.
Oliver Banfield, 25, has quit the police force after he admitted attacking a mum on a dark street[/caption]
Emma Homer was assaulted by the off-duty cop last July in Bidford-on-Avon, Warks.[/caption]
Banfield, who had been suspended by the force, will still face a misconduct hearing in due course, police said.
The victim, 37, hit out at the initial handling of her complaint against a “drunk” Banfield.
Shocking footage showed the off-duty cop using tactics he had learned during training while shouting “on the floor now” and pretending to call for back-up as he grabbed the terrified mum-of-two.
The former officer admitted the offence at an earlier hearing in January and on Friday he was handed a curfew and ordered to pay compensation and costs at Leicester Magistrates’ Court.
Deputy Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine, of West Midlands Police, said: “Today I have accepted the resignation of PC Oliver Banfield.
“I want to stress that former PC Banfield will still face an accelerated misconduct hearing, chaired by the Chief Constable, in the near future.
“The misconduct process had had to wait until after criminal and court processes concluded, because of police regulations.
“I will make the outcome of that hearing public as soon as I can.
“I recognise the distress Emma Homer, who was assaulted and verbally abused by Banfield, has suffered during this time.
“We have spoken to her today to update her on the resignation of former Pc Banfield and will continue to keep her updated.”
Emma told Channel 4 News: “He got me on the floor. It was like he was pretending to be in a cop film, calling for back up, how an officer would arrest somebody, like he was in a film.
Most read in News
“He got me on the floor, round the neck, screaming and shouting aggressively.
“I had to investigate myself, I found out there was a police officer called Oli who lived around the corner.
“From the moment I reported the attack, I wasn’t taken seriously.”
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
