Babak Belurs

Jumat, 19 Maret 2021

Policeman who attacked 'terrified' woman as she walked home avoids jail - Metro.co.uk

An off-duty police officer who drunkenly attacked a ‘terrified’ woman as she walked home has avoided jail.

PC Oliver Banfield, 25, who serves with West Midlands Police, had been out drinking when he spotted victim Emma Homer, 37, walking alone at about 1am on July 26, 2020.

He put the mum-of-two in a headlock, pulled her onto the floor and dragged her along a pavement, before calling her a ‘f****** slag’ as she escaped and ran away.

Describing the assault, Mrs Homer said: ‘I often ask myself if the impact of the attack would have been so severe if my assailant was not a police officer.

‘During the assault as I struggled to get to safety, I was sure this drunk man was fulfilling a violent cop movie fantasy.

‘To be verbally abused with misogynistic slang, grabbed by the neck, and forced to the floor on a dark road by a drunk man a foot taller than me is terrifying, but to then find that he was a police officer shook my belief system to its core.’

Discussing the impact on her mental health, she added: ‘I considered myself a confident, relaxed, and independent wife and mother but since the attack I live with constant anxiety.

‘I have changed simple things like my route home, and I have had to ask my family not to discuss the case as it sends me into a panic attack – indeed whenever the subject is brought up I feel a rush of anxiety and a tightening at my throat.’

Mrs Homer has slammed Warwickshire Police’s initial handling of her complaint, saying it took ‘more than 30 hours for an officer to take a telephone statement’, ‘nine days for an officer to come and see her’ and ‘eight weeks for an officer to conduct house-to-house enquiries’.

The CPS decided not to charge Banfield in September 2020 – but Mrs Homer had the decision reviewed and overturned with the help of the Women’s Justice Centre.

Oliver Banfield leaving the court. Oliver Banfield has been spared jail and been allowed to keep his job with West Midlands Police despite being filmed on CCTV attacking a woman while she was walking at night. — Banfield was sentenced today at Leicester Magistrates’ Court after he admitted to assault by beating (Picture: MirrorPix)

Emma Homer — Victim Mrs Homer said she now lives with ‘constant anxiety’ (Picture: Mirrorpix)

Banfield was handed a 14-week curfew on Friday, banning him from leaving his house between 7pm and 7am after admitting a charge of assault by beating at court at Leamington Spa in January.

He was also ordered to pay £500 compensation, along with a £95 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

The cop was ‘removed from public-facing duties after the assault’ while a criminal investigation into the incident in Bidford-on-Avon was carried out by Warwickshire Police.

The force has apologised to Mrs Homer, admitting its ‘initial response to the report of the assault was not as swift as it should have been’.

However, they have come under fire for not immediately firing Banfield, who remains suspended, pending the outcome of a disciplinary process into an allegation of gross misconduct.

Labour MP Harriet Harman said: ‘Policeman attacks woman walking home alone after dark. Must have been terrifying for her but no prison sentence.

‘He continues in post. @WMPolice (West Midlands Police) must review. This is proof, if any needed, that system fails women and protects men.’

Chief Superintendent Ben Smith, of Warwickshire Police, said the force recognised ‘the strength of feeling that has come about as a result of Sarah Everard’s tragic death and understand the concerns relating to violence against women and girls nationally’.

He added the police was ‘aware of the concerns around its handling of the case, had carried out a review and ‘responded to the complainant’.

He said: ‘We acknowledge that, due to internal process errors, the initial response to the report of the assault was not as swift as it should have been, and an apology has been issued with regards to this.

‘A proportionate investigation was then conducted, which ultimately led to the charge and prosecution of the perpetrator.’

West Midlands District Crown Prosecutor Rachel Adams said: ‘The CPS takes violence against women and girls extremely seriously and will continue to robustly prosecute offences arising from this sort of behaviour.

‘I authorised a charge of assault by beating against Oliver Banfield after a referral under the victim’s right to review process, and I have personally engaged with the victim and her family throughout the proceedings.’

Deputy Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine, of West Midlands Police, said: ‘Oliver Banfield was removed from public-facing police duties after the assault and while the investigation by Warwickshire Police was being carried out.

‘To protect the criminal case we’ve not been able to carry out our own misconduct investigation until its conclusion.

‘Now sentencing has taken place, our investigation will be carried out and Pc Banfield faces allegations of gross misconduct and is currently suspended.’

She added: ‘We understand the strength of feeling surrounding the desperately sad death of Sarah Everard and concerns on the issue of women’s safety but it would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this stage.

‘Our role is to protect the public, who should be able to trust us. We therefore hold all our officers to the highest standards and we will take appropriate action against anyone whose actions fall below what is expected.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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2021-03-19 22:51:00Z
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PC's curfew sentence for 'terrifying' attack on woman criticised - BBC News

A probationary police officer who assaulted a woman in a "terrifying" attack has been given a curfew, prompting criticism he was not jailed.

West Midlands Police PC Oliver Banfield grabbed and manhandled Emma Homer last July while drunk. He has been suspended and faces disciplinary action.

The investigating force has apologised for delays in the prosecution.

Labour MP Harriet Harman wrote on Twitter: "Must have been terrifying for her... but no prison sentence."

Ms Homer said the attack had left her with "anxiety, insomnia and stress" and her family said they were "disappointed" with 25-year-old Banfield's sentence, a night-time curfew.

During the sentencing hearing at Leicester Magistrates' Court, CCTV was shown in which Banfield could be seen shouting at Ms Homer.

He is seen grabbing her and forcing her to the floor during the assault in the early hours of 26 July in Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire.

In her victim personal statement which was read out in court, she said she thought he was "fulfilling a violent cop movie fantasy".

Describing the assault, Ms Homer, 37, said: "I often ask myself if the impact of the attack would have been so severe if my assailant was not a police officer.

"During the assault as I struggled to get to safety, I was sure this drunk man was fulfilling a violent cop movie fantasy.

"To be verbally abused with misogynistic slang, grabbed by the neck, and forced to the floor on a dark road by a drunk man a foot taller than me is terrifying, but to then find that he was a police officer shook my belief system to its core."

She said: "I considered myself a confident, relaxed, and independent wife and mother, but since the attack I live with constant anxiety.

"I have changed simple things like my route home, and I have had to ask my family not to discuss the case as it sends me into a panic attack - indeed whenever the subject is brought up I feel a rush of anxiety and a tightening at my throat."

'Not really a punishment'

Warwickshire Police said it had personally apologised to Ms Homer for delays in the investigation.

Initially the CPS said there was not enough evidence to bring a prosecution. But after Ms Homer appealed with the support of the Centre for Women's Justice, further inquiries were made and Banfield was charged.

Warwickshire's Chief Superintendent Ben Smith said the force recognised "the strength of feeling that has come about as a result of Sarah Everard's tragic death and understand the concerns relating to violence against women and girls nationally".

And he added: "We acknowledge that, due to internal process errors, the initial response to the report of the assault was not as swift as it should have been and an apology has been issued with regards to this."

Banfield pleaded guilty to assault by beating at a hearing in January and at Friday's hearing received a 14-week curfew order banning him from leaving his house between 19:00 and 07:00. He was also ordered to pay his victim £500 compensation as well as a victim surcharge and court costs.

Ms Homer's family said a night-time curfew during lockdown was "not really a punishment at all".

Criticising the non-custodial sentence in a tweet, Ms Harman wrote: "He continues in post. WMPolice (West Midlands Police) must review.

"This is proof, if any needed, that system fails women and protects men."

In a statement, West Midlands Police said Banfield, of Bidford-on-Avon, had been suspended from duty and would now face charges of gross misconduct.

Deputy Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine said: "Our role is to protect the public, who should be able to trust us. We therefore hold all our officers to the highest standards and we will take appropriate action against anyone whose actions fall below what is expected."

The West Midlands police and crime commissioner David Jamieson said he had asked Chief Constable Sir David Thompson to brief him on steps taken by the force.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk

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2021-03-19 21:08:42Z
52781445278912

COVID-19: Boris Johnson receives first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine - Sky News

Boris Johnson has had the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

The prime minister, who is aged 56, got his first dose at London's St Thomas' Hospital, where he was treated in intensive care last April after contracting COVID-19.

By having the vaccine, Mr Johnson joins more than 26 million people in the UK who have received a first dose.

As he left the hospital on Friday evening, he told reporters: "I literally did not feel a thing and so it was very good, very quick and I cannot recommend it too highly.

"Everybody, when you do get your notification to go for a jab please go and get it. It is the best thing for you, best thing for your family and for everybody else.

He added: "Don't just listen to me, listen to all the scientists, listen to what the European Union Medicines Agency had to say, to what the MHRA [Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency] has said. The risk is COVID, this is a great thing to do."

He got his vaccine at the end of a week in which the government admitted the UK's supply of jabs is likely to be "tighter" next month, amid delays to supplies from India and a need to retest more than one-and-a-half million doses.

Mr Johnson had previously revealed he would be getting the AstraZeneca jab, as he addressed the news some European countries had suspended use of the vaccine following concerns about blood clots.

France, Germany and Italy are among those to have since restarted their vaccine programmes with the AstraZeneca jab after the European Medicines Agency said the vaccine was "safe and effective".

The World Health Organisation and the MHRA have also said the jab is safe and have encouraged people to take up their vaccine appointments.

"The Oxford jab is safe and the Pfizer jab is safe," Mr Johnson said at a Downing Street briefing on Thursday evening.

"The thing that isn't safe is catching COVID, which is why it is so important that we all get our jabs as soon as our turn comes."

US President Joe Biden, India's Narendra Modi, Indonesia's Joko Widodo, Turkey's Recep Erdogan, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia's King Salman are other world leaders to have received a COVID vaccine.

In the UK, both the Queen and Prince Philip have received a jab, as has Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford and former prime ministers Theresa May and David Cameron.

Last April, Mr Johnson was treated in intensive care, although the prime minister has since said he "never really thought that I wouldn't come back from it".

He was also forced to self-isolate in November 2020 after meeting an MP who later tested positive for the disease.

The NHS recommends people who have already had - and recovered from - COVID should still get vaccinated.

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2021-03-19 19:39:19Z
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PC's curfew sentence for 'terrifying' attack on woman criticised - BBC News

A probationary police officer who assaulted a woman in a "terrifying" attack has been given a curfew, prompting criticism he was not jailed.

West Midlands Police PC Oliver Banfield grabbed and manhandled Emma Homer last July while drunk. He has been suspended and faces disciplinary action.

The investigating force has apologised for delays in the prosecution.

Labour MP Harriet Harman wrote on Twitter: "Must have been terrifying for her... but no prison sentence."

Ms Homer said the attack had left her with "anxiety, insomnia and stress" and her family said they were "disappointed" with Banfield's sentence, a night-time curfew.

During the sentencing hearing at Leicester Magistrates' Court, CCTV was shown in which Banfield could be seen shouting at Ms Homer.

He is seen grabbing her and forcing her to the floor during the assault in the early hours of 26 July in Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire.

In her victim personal statement which was read out in court, she said she thought he was "fulfilling a violent cop movie fantasy".

Describing the assault, Ms Homer said: "I often ask myself if the impact of the attack would have been so severe if my assailant was not a police officer.

"During the assault as I struggled to get to safety, I was sure this drunk man was fulfilling a violent cop movie fantasy.

She said: "I considered myself a confident, relaxed, and independent wife and mother but since the attack I live with constant anxiety.

'Not really a punishment'

Warwickshire Police said it had personally apologised to Ms Homer for delays in the investigation.

Initially the CPS said there was not enough evidence to bring a prosecution. But after Ms Homer appealed, further inquiries were made and the criminal case was brought against Banfield.

He pleaded guilty to assault by battery at a hearing in January and at Friday's hearing received a 14-week curfew order banning him from leaving his house between 19:00 and 07:00. He was also ordered to pay his victim £500 compensation as well as a victim surcharge and court costs.

Ms Homer's family said a night-time curfew during lockdown was "not really a punishment at all".

The Warwickshire force has admitted its "initial response to the report of the assault was not as swift as it should have been".

Criticising the non-custodial sentence in a tweet, Ms Harman wrote: "He continues in post. WMPolice (West Midlands Police) must review.

"This is proof, if any needed, that system fails women and protects men."

In a statement, West Midlands Police (WMP) said Banfield, of Bidford-on-Avon, had been suspended from duty and would now face charges of gross misconduct.

WMP Deputy Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine said: "Our role is to protect the public, who should be able to trust us. We therefore hold all our officers to the highest standards and we will take appropriate action against anyone whose actions fall below what is expected."

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk

Related Internet Links

HM Courts & Tribunals Service