Cop Bites Back: Officer Given Suspended Sentence for Assaulting Suspect
PC Claudia Pastina, from the Central South Basic Command Unit, has been slapped with a 16-week suspended sentence and a £748 fine. The sentence is suspended for two years following an incident in Stockwell Park Road, SW9.
The Incident: Police Called to Rough Suspect
On Saturday, 19 February, PC Pastina and a colleague were called to a report of a suspicious man. They found the man and asked him to leave the area, but he refused. When officers tried to escort him away, he resisted arrest.
- The man bit PC Pastina during the struggle.
- He also caused minor injuries to a second officer using a set of keys.
After arresting him for assaulting an emergency worker, PC Pastina struck the man multiple times in the face.
Met Police Launch Misconduct Probe
The Metropolitan Police’s Directorate of Professional Standards launched a criminal investigation. PC Pastina was charged in August and put on restricted duties pending the outcome.
Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove, overseeing Lambeth and Southwark policing, said: “The public trust us to use the powers we have fairly, professionally and act with the highest standards at all times.
“In this case the high standards we expect were not met. PC Pastina’s actions were completely unacceptable.
“We will always investigate allegations of wrongdoing and take the appropriate action. Misconduct proceedings will now follow.”
The Met’s internal investigation into PC Pastina’s conduct is ongoing.
