Officer's appeal is upheld and conviction overturned

A police officer has been acquitted of common assault by beating after he appealed his conviction in a hearing at crown court on Friday (27 May).

PC Richard Smith, age 50 and from Stroud, had been charged in connection with the use of force while detaining a man in Dursley on 22 November 2020.

He denied the charge and a District Judge at a hearing at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on 4 October last year found him guilty.

PC Smith was subsequently sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

However, the officer chose to appeal the conviction and a hearing took place at Worcester Crown Court on Friday (27 May).

His appeal was upheld and a judge overturned the conviction.

Following the hearing, Assistant Chief Constable Rhiannon Kirk said: “We acknowledge the decision made in court on Friday.

“The officer remains suspended as he is still subject to misconduct proceedings as these could not take place until the appeal process had concluded.

“We will take full account of the observations made in Friday’s hearing.”