Policeman knocked out student's teeth with riot shield during protests jailed for eight months

 

PC Andrew Ott

A policeman who knocked a student’s tooth out with his riot shield sobbed in the dock as he was jailed for eight months.
PC Andrew Ott, 36, chased William Horner as he tried to break free from a kettled area during protests in central London against rising tuition fees in December, 2010.
Ott was caught on his audio device saying: “Poked the little c*** right in the eye. I just f***ing hit him.”

Judge Jeffrey Pegden said at Southwark crown court that Ott had used “gratuitous violence” and abused his power as a police officer.
He added: “You had the victim cornered. No violence was necessary at all.”
Ott, of Rochester, Kent, was found guilty of assault, but cleared of perverting the course of justice.

Central News

No further action was taken against Mr Horner.
Prosecutor Edmund Vickers said: "The offence was committed on the spur of the moment after a very difficult days work policing a political protest in Westminster, in particular Parliament Square.
"It followed unnecessary and excessive use of force by one of the officers, Andrew Ott, against a member of the public, William Horner who had been lawfully protesting outside the Houses of Parliament."
Huge numbers of police in full riot gear were deployed onto the streets of London on 9 December 2010 after the protests descended into violence, with statues daubed with graffiti and concrete blocks hurled through the air.