Lowestoft sergeant cleared of charges
A LOWESTOFT police sergeant has been cleared of assaulting a burglar and perverting the course of justice after a trial concluded today at Norwich Crown Court.
A LOWESTOFT police sergeant has been cleared of assaulting a burglar and perverting the course of justice after a trail concluded today at Norwich Crown Court.
Andrew Jervis, 41, of Suffolk police, was alleged to have struck handcuffed burglar, Ashley Whitwam, twice across the head with his baton.
But today, Mr Jervis - who had denied the charges - was found not guilty of assaulting a burglar in Suffolk and then trying to cover up the incident.
The officer clasped his hands together and said ``thanks'' towards the jury as the verdicts were read out.
Jervis had been accused of assaulting Ashley Whitwam at a holiday complex in Lowestoft in March last year. He was also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Prosecutors had alleged that Jervis struck Whitwam with his baton while the suspect was handcuffed and detained by three constables close to a lake at Gunton Hall.
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It was also claimed that Jervis had attempted to hide his role in the incident by telling the officers to omit from their statements any mention of his involvement in the arrest.
After jurors cleared Jervis of the charges, Recorder Guy Ayers said the verdicts should not be seen as suggesting that the constables, who gave evidence in court, had lied about the incident.
'I hope that those three officers do not lose their career and their jobs on the back of this particular verdict,' he said.
The court was told that Whitwam had already been sentenced after he admitted stealing from slot machines at the complex.
