A special constable has been jailed for three years after being convicted of a vicious assault on a drunken off-duty soldier while trying to arrest him.
Peter Lightfoot attacked Lance Corporal Mark Aspinall outside a bar in Wigan, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of July 27, 2008.
The attack, which was captured on CCTV, was described as “violent, excessive and unjustified” by the police watchdog.
Lightfoot, 40, was filmed pushing the soldier’s head into the ground and hitting him with a police helmet.
He was found guilty of the assault on the soldier, who had served in Afghanistan and Iraq, by a jury at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last month.
Two other officers involved in the incident, Sergeant Stephen Russell, 34, and Pc Richard Kelsall, 29, were cleared of assaulting the soldier.
L/Cpl Aspinall was himself initially charged and convicted of two counts of attacking the police officers by Wigan Magistrates, who did not view the CCTV.
He later won an appeal to have the verdict quashed at Liverpool Crown Court, where the judge cited concerns about the actions of the officers.
Haulage driver Lightfoot was also convicted of one count of perjury, in relation to the evidence he gave during the soldier’s trial.
He was jailed for one year for perjury, and two years for assault, to run consecutively.
Lightfoot, a twice-divorced father of two, had been given a warning about using excessive force during an arrest in 2007, the court heard.
However, he was nominated for a bravery award for confronting a robber who was wielding an imitation handgun and won a Special Constable of the Year award in 2003.
Police were called to the Walkabout bar in Wigan town centre after L/Cpl Aspinall was thrown out for causing trouble and allegedly shouting racial abuse at door staff.
Lightfoot used “unacceptable” force when making the arrest, Judge Lewis said, and it was lucky the soldier had not suffered a head injury.
“However badly he behaved, he did not deserve to be treated as you treated him during this short-lived bout of violence,” the judge added.
The judge rejected a claim for compensation for L/Cpl Aspinall.
Lightfoot’s father Jim said his son did nothing wrong: “I don’t think the video tells the story,” he said.
“I did 24 years as a Special Constable. I’ve been in the same position. You didn’t get a true picture from the video.”
Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said: “The judge’s sentence is a reflection of how serious this abuse of trust was.
“The conduct of Peter Lightfoot that day fell well below the standard we expect.
“His actions in no way reflect the committed and professional attitude shown by the vast majority of our Special Constables, who are highly trained in the best ways to safely detain prisoners.”
However badly he behaved, he did not deserve to be treated as you treated him
during this short-lived bout of violence.
Judge speaking to Lightfoot in court
The Sky
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