A Metropolitan Police officer has been dismissed after assaulting a member of the public while off duty after he allegedly made “racist” comments towards him. Special Constable Rahimul Ahmed was involved in a verbal altercation with a bar manager at Bramley Gold Club, Surrey, which led to the altercation. Ahmed was charged with assault by beating and later found guilty of the offence.
He was convicted and made to pay £150 to the victim. On May 31, he faced a gross misconduct panel. He was found to have committed discreditable conduct and was dismissed from the police force as a result. During the hearing, the panel heard details of the altercation which took place on June 17 2021. Throughout the investigation by Surrey Police, Ahmed said he acted in the “heat of the moment.” He had seven character statements in his favour at the panel hearing.
READ MORE: The unsolved murder of a father shot by a hitman in a quiet North London street
Ahmed, who had served as a Special Constable for two years, was convicted of assault by beating contrary to Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Temporary Assistant Commissioner Pearson, who chaired the panel, explained: “Special Constable Ahmed was off duty when he attended Bramley Golf Club and became involved in a verbal altercation with the bar manager.
“This escalated into SC Ahmed using physical force against the bar manager which resulted in a criminal charge for assault by beating. When interviewed, SC Ahmed admitted pushing the victim, but claimed this was due to his perception that the victim had used racist words and behaviour towards him.”
In mitigating factors in Ahmed’s defence, the panel found: “SC Ahmed has stated that he had no intention to use the forces that he did, he reacted in ‘the heat of the moment’ in response to what he interpreted as racist words and behaviour towards him. He has expressed remorse for his actions and at the first opportunity during interview, he admitted pushing the person who was assaulted.”
However, his criminal conviction led to the gross misconduct verdict. Ahmed appeared at Staines Magistrates Court on March 4 2022 and was found guilty. His ‘heat of the moment’ argument did not prove convincing enough for the panel chair.
Temporary Assistant Commissioner Pearson explained: “Police officers will often find themselves in difficult and tense situations which may be heightened by the behaviour of others. However, the expectation of the public is that officers will respond in these situations in a way that upholds the standards of professional behaviour.”
The panel found he had “discredit[ed] the police service and undermine[d] confidence in it,” with his actions, concluding: “The public could not have confidence in SC Ahmed to react professionally and appropriately in a heightened situation and therefore could not rely on him to respond in a way that didn’t cause harm to another.”
Ahmed was dismissed without notice.
Got a story you think we should write? Get in touch [email protected].
Want more from MyLondon? Sign up to our daily newsletters for all the latest and greatest from across London here.
I’m Beth, a News Reporter for MyLondon, covering anything from TV and crime to human interest stories, with a particular focus on health causes. I’ve been nominated for an NCTJ Award for Excellence in the Data category.
Three stories I’ve worked on in the past month that I’m proud of are:
‘I just feel like screaming’: ‘Healthy’ woman, 28, can’t even leave her bed after being hit by paralysis, seizures, and memory loss
Woman, 38, fighting for her and baby’s life after pregnancy ‘side effect’ turns out to be cervical cancer
‘I was in so much pain I slept upright in a chair but was told I had to wait eight months for surgery’
I’m currently based near Hampstead but I’ll write about any area of the best place in the world. It’s been a dream of mine since I was tiny to live in London and I’m so grateful I get to call this hustling, bustling city my home.
Got a story? You can email me at [email protected] or DM me on Twitter @bethgulliver1.
Read More
Related Articles
Read More
Related Articles
https://www.mylondon.news/news/met-police-officer-sacked-attacking-24143352
