A police hate crime officer has been cleared by a judge of punching a 14-year-old boy but could still face disciplinary proceedings.
PC Paul Evans, 50, of south Wales police, was accused of repeatedly hitting the schoolboy when the boy’s mother called the police about his behaviour.
District Judge Bodfan Jenkins said: “It is more likely than not that Evans acted as alleged, but the evidence is insufficient.” He added: “Evans is entitled to his acquittal and I find him not guilty.”
Evans was alleged to have grabbed the teenager’s throat and punched him several times after the boy taunted him at the boy’s home in Bridgend. The schoolboy was said to be left with a bleeding nose, chipped tooth and bruising on his face.
Susan Ferrier, defending, told the judge, who was sitting at Cardiff magistrates court: “The prosecution evidence does not in fact fit with PC Evans. He has commendations for bravely saving the life of a man in a river. He has experience of dealing with various disabilities and problems.”
Following the verdict, Catrin Evans, the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s director for Wales, said: “The IOPC carried out a thorough investigation into the use of force, which led to the Crown Prosecution Service decision to prosecute PC Evans. We have found that PC Evans also has a case to answer for gross misconduct. Disciplinary proceedings are currently under consideration between the force and the IOPC.”
