West Midlands Police Oliver Banfield was drunk when he grabbed the victim by the neck in a dark street, according to The mirror. He used containment techniques he had learned in police training to put an armbar on the woman. He dragged her down the sidewalk and shouted that she was a “fucking scum”.
In court, Officer Banfield’s lawyer told the judge that his client should be exempt from community service because he is a police officer and it would be “difficult” for him to work with criminals. Ironic, considering that Banfield himself is a violent criminal.
Taking all things into account, the judge sentenced Banfield to a curfew. For the next 14 weeks, he is expected to stay home between 7:00 pm and 7:00 am.
That’s it.
From The mirror:
[The victim] suffered from anxiety, stress, panic attacks and insomnia and is in therapy and counseling.
[She] said that being attacked by a police officer shook her belief system “deeply”.
“I often wonder if the impact of the attack would have been so severe if my attacker was not a police officer,” she said.
“During the attack, as I struggled to get to a safe place, I was sure that this drunk man was performing a violent thriller costume.