Ex-Cop Sentenced for Faking Brutal Assault in Ramsgate
Former Officer Jailed for Lying About Attack
A Bent Kent Police officer has been handed 15 months behind bars for concocting a story about being attacked in a Ramsgate churchyard. Michael Tovell, 46, was convicted of perverting the course of justice at Canterbury Crown Court on 29 July 2019 after claiming he was assaulted while searching for a missing person.
False Alarm: No Attack Found
On 2 February 2018, Tovell set off his personal emergency alarm at St Lawrence Graveyard just after 9.30pm, shouting “Get back” and “I’m Taser trained. Put it down.” Two colleagues rushed to the scene within 30 seconds but found no attackers. Tovell insisted he was assaulted with baseball bats and wooden planks.
Despite calling an ambulance, medics found only minor injuries, and staff discharged him within hours. Meanwhile, police investigations revealed no trace of the supposed four “heavily-built” men anywhere on extensive local CCTV footage. Witnesses described the area as eerily quiet at the time.
Cracks in the Story Exposed
- No audio evidence of an attack on Tovell’s emergency radio.
- Four unaccounted minutes between leaving colleagues and activating the alarm.
- House-to-house inquiries and witness appeals yielded zero evidence.
The more detectives dug, the clearer it became: Tovell had made it all up. Confronted in a March 2018 interview, he failed to offer any credible explanation.
Justice Served and Police Anger
On 12 June 2019, a jury declared Tovell guilty. A misconduct hearing a month later saw him fired without notice. Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith slammed the false claim:
“Perverting the course of justice is a serious offence and in this case it means time officers should have dedicated to legitimate victims was wasted investigating a false allegation. It became clear in our investigations that this attack never happened and it was only right that we investigated Tovell and the validity of his claims. A jury found them to be fabrication and Tovell’s sentence sends clear message that perverting the course of justice will not be tolerated. Tovell’s decision to make up being attacked by a group of men not only has a profound impact on the public and its confidence in policing, but also on his colleagues, some of whom have been assaulted while on duty.”
