London Police sued by suspect who claims officers called him a 'black b*****d' as they smashed the windows of his car with baseball bats

"The Metropolitan Police is being sued for £50,000 over claims a group of six officers allegedly called a suspect a 'black b*****d'.

Jonathan Billinghurst is taking action after officers ambushed him, smashing the windows of the Mini Cooper he was driving with baseball bats.

He claims during the 'unconventional' arrest one officer turned up the music while his colleagues physically and verbally assaulted him, in a manner designed to 'punish, demoralise and humiliate' him.

Dramatic footage released by police shows them attacking...

An Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation found the police officers had used excessive force.

But the Met Police claimed in its defence to Mr Billinghurst's claim that 'officers were permitted to use such force'.

The High Court papers, which were filed in October, have emerged after the six officers failed to sue Channel 4 News for libel after the programme broadcast footage of the arrest.

Specifically, the six claimed journalist Simon Israel had insinuated they misled the IPCC panel on evidence they had against Mr Billinghurst. But the case was thrown out of the High Court.

The video showed the men shouting ‘attack, attack’ before running at the suspect's car, smashing the windows and windscreen and telling him to ‘get out of the car’ before pinning him to the ground.

The arrest took place in 2008 - but the IPCC investigation was not completed until three years later. All of the officers, part of the now-disbanded Enfield Crime Squad, kept their jobs.

But they have come under further pressure now after Mr Billinghurst claimed one officer turned up the music in his car as others assaulted him physically and verbally after they had pinned him down on the side of the road.

The suspect, who was later jailed for two months following the arrest, believed the officers were ‘muggers’ because most of them appeared to be wearing plain clothes.

He said the unconventional manner of the arrest was designed to 'punish, demoralise and humiliate' him.

He also claims police failed to say who they were. In its defence, the Metropolitan Police said officers shouted ‘police, police’ and put a blue flashing siren on one of their cars.

They said Mr Billinghurst ‘was informed that he was under arrest and the grounds of arrest as soon as was practicable’ - though it does not specify when this was.

Mr Billinghurst has also claimed the officers took and failed to return his iPod, CDs and mobile phone.

After going to Edmonton Police Station, Mr Billinghurst was taken to North Middlesex Hospital and treated for a cut on his face believed to have been caused by flying glass.

In its defence, the Metropolitan Police said Mr Billinghurst was suspected of driving a stolen car while disqualified from driving. Officers also claimed that intelligence suggested he would be carrying a knife.

They said smashing the windows was being used as a valid ‘distraction technique’.

The defence also questioned the likelihood that Mr Billinghurst could win the action because the incident took place five years ago.

Original report here

　

　

　

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