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Damages against the police (1)

01 May 1991

The Metropolitan Police are to pay £25 000 without admitting liability to Mr Mohammed Hajiazim of Feltham West London who had a testicle split during an alleged assault by police officers. Jasmin Hodge-Lake and her boyfriend Michael McMillan from south-east London received £3,500 damages and an apology from the Metropolitan Police following an incident on a bus during 1986. The couple were detained by police after a bus inspector accused McMillan of having a stolen ticket. Although charges against him were dropped Jasmin then seven months pregnant was charged with obstruction. Their solicitor Jane Aschester said They were treated very badly. Twenty-four travellers in the Stonehenge Peace Convoy received more than £25,000 damages (£6,640 exemplary) from Wiltshire Police after a four month hearing in the "Battle of the Beanfield" case. The case arose following police actions in preventing the convoy from reaching a festival in June 1985. The convoy members claimed that they had been assaulted by police, arrested and strip-searched without reason and that vehicles and property were damaged in the struggle. The West Midlands police have been ordered by the High Court in Birmingham to pay damages to a local man Paul Dandy who had been accused of armed robbery. Forensic tests showed that detectives made unauthorised additions to his statements. The police are expected to appeal. Dandy served 10 months in prison. IRR Media Project Bulletin, 68 26.2.91; Voice, 26.2.91; Observer 3.3.91; Independent 15.2.91, 10.4.91.