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Policemen jailed

01 January 1991

Policemen jailed
artdoc April=1992

Two policemen, Mark Irvine and Barry Rankin, found guilty at
Southwark Crown Court of actual bodily harm on Emmanuel Ziregbe,
have each been jailed for two years. The attack on Mr Ziregbe,
who was working as a taxi driver, occurred when a group of off-
duty policeman left a colleague's stag party in Hammersmith last
year and hailed his cab. Mr Ziregbe was asked if he would take
five passengers but refused because he was only insured for four
people. He was subjected to racial abuse and dragged from the
cab, headbutted twice and repeatedly punched and kicked. The two
men have also been ordered to pay Mr Ziregbe Ã500 damages each.
A third officer was acquitted and the jury could not reach a
decision in the case of the fourth officer. The judge described
the attack as `cowardly and vicious'.
Recently the Metropolitan police paid Ã20,000 to Constable
Franklyn Asumah, in an out of court settlement, after he had been
subjected to racist abuse by fellow officers while serving with
the Territorial Support Group in Barnes.
In January Sergeant Raham Khan, from Pakistan, took West
Yorkshire police to an Industrial Tribunal alleging that he had
been refused promotion due to his colour. A Jewish officer, PC
Nigel Brown, who won an Industrial Tribunal against the
Metropolitan Police, has subsequently threatened to resign
following continued anti-semitism.
Guardian, 14.11.91, 17.1.92, 10.2.92; Independent, 12.2.92;
Voice, 19.11.91

Statewatch Vol 2 No 2 March/April 1992