Officer convicted of assault given community order

An officer convicted of assault following an incident in Southwark last year has been given a 12-month community order.

PC Luke Wenham, attached to the Central South Basic Command Unit, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 26 July where he was sentenced after he was found guilty following a one-day trial of two counts of common assault.

He was sentenced to 15 days rehabilitation as directed by probation, a curfew for three months and 100 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay costs of £625 and victim surcharge of £114.

PC Wenham’s conviction follows an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

On Wednesday, 17 August, PC Wenham was one of a team of officers who attended an address in Albert Barnes House SE1 to carry out an arrest inquiry for a man wanted on suspicion of robbery.

Entry was forced to the man’s flat, but he climbed out of a window and began to scale down a drainpipe which ran the length of the block of flats. As he did so, PC Wenham leant out of an open window and discharged PAVA spray at the man – who continued to climb down the pipe.

Together with other officers, PC Wenham attempted to locate the man, finding him on the balcony of another flat. When officers found him, the man continued his attempts to escape, climbing down the outside of the building as before. Again, PC Wenham deployed PAVA on him.

When the man was brought to safety he was arrested and later convicted of 11 counts of robbery, two counts of criminal damage and two counts of racially aggravated public order.

Met policy dictates that any time an officer uses PAVA spray the circumstances will be subject to review. In this case, following a review of PC Wenham’s actions the matter was referred to the IOPC who carried out an independent investigation.

On 9 February, PC Wenham was charged with two counts of common assault.

Now that criminal matters have concluded misconduct proceedings will commence. The officer has been suspended.

Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, local policing commander in Southwark and Lambeth, said: “Officers know that their actions will be held to account and where any use of force is deployed, must always consider whether it was necessary and proportionate to the circumstances. It is clear in this case that not only was PC Wenham’s response completely disproportionate to the situation he faced but also, by doing what he did, he put a member of public at risk of harm.”