Brighton Magistrates’ Court has acquitted a police officer of a charge of assault after a trial on Friday, March 17th. Detective Constable Thomas Hawkins was accused of assaulting a woman he knew while he was off duty in May 2022.
The matter was referred to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), who directed that the force’s Professional Standards Department should conduct a local investigation. After pleading not guilty to the charge, DC Hawkins was found not guilty by the court.
However, the force’s Professional Standards Department will now consider disciplinary action in light of the outcome of the trial.
