[Niamh.]

An off-duty police officer who attacked a terrified woman as she walked home alone was allowed to walk free from court.

PC Oliver Banfield, a probationary officer with West Midlands Police, grabbed Emma Homer on a dark street last July.

He used techniques taught during police training to try to tackle the mum-of-two to the ground and put her in a headlock.

Miss Homer, 36, managed to flee from the scene as Banfield, who had been on a night out, branded her a “f ****** slag”.

A court heard the 25-year-old remains in his post with West Midlands Police despite admitting a charge of assault by beating.

Banfield, of Bidford-on-Avon, Warks, appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court for sentencing today.

His lawyer argued he should not have to do community service because it would be “difficult” for him to work with criminals.

Instead the officer was sentenced to a 14-week curfew, banning him from leaving his house between 7pm and 7am.

Banfield was also ordered to pay his victim £500 compensation and court costs totalling £180.

The terrifying attack in Bidford-on-Avon, Warks, was caught on CCTV and shown to the court this morning.

It showed Banfield trying to perform an “unlawful arrest” on his victim and grabbing her around the neck.

Banfield, who the court heard was drunk at the time of the attack, tried to pull her to the ground as she screamed and dragged her along the pavement.

Miss Homer said the attack had a devastating effect on her.

She has suffered from anxiety, stress, panic attacks and insomnia and is undergoing therapy and counselling.

Miss Homer said being attacked by a police officer had shaken her belief system “to the core”.

“I often ask myself if the impact of the attack would have been so severe if my assailant was not a police officer,” she said.

“During the assault as I struggled to get to safety I was sure this drunk man was fulfilling a violent cop movie fantasy.

“To be verbally abused with misogynistic slang, grabbed by the neck and forced to the floor on a dark road by a drunk man, a foot taller than me, is terrifying.

“But to then find out he was a police officer shook my belief system to its core.

“My ten-year-old son is naturally protective and spent the days after the assault asking if they have ‘caught the nasty man?’

“The effect on my children when they found out my assailant was a police officer was incredibly sad.

“It’s unfathomable to them that a person whose job is to serve and protect would attack and hurt their family.

“Both are wary and unnecessarily anxious when they see a police car or an officer in uniform and will ask me, ‘Is that him mummy?’.

“Immediately after the assault I was in shock. I could not sleep


“I found myself compulsively running through the streets going through the events of the assault.

“What if I hadn’t got away? What if he had attacked another woman drunk?

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-new...8qlxde4brtZCdc

[Oliver_W]

Jesus, why are women so undervalued by the justice system? If he'd have "found it hard" to work with criminals during community service ... Good. Punishments aren't meant to be easy.

Is there even anything about his "motive" known? If it was attempted sexual assault I feel it'd be more widely known ?

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Jesus, why are women so undervalued by the justice system? If he'd have "found it hard" to work with criminals during community service ... Good. Punishments aren't meant to be easy.

Is there even anything about his "motive" known? If it was attempted sexual assault I feel it'd be more widely known ?

I don't know what the motivation behind it was, I suppose that's never going to be known either because she got away from him, he's not going to admit that if it was though but I can't see what else it was other than he likes intimidating women which is also pretty bad imo especially as a Police Officer

[Cherie]

Did they ask him what was he arresting her for?

because her crime appears to be walking home

[arista]

Good she got away

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Did they ask him what was he arresting her for?

because her crime appears to be walking home

He was drunk and off duty so he wasn't arresting her for anything. Just an abusive man

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by AnnieK

He was drunk and off duty so he wasn't arresting her for anything. Just an abusive man

That was my point, he was abusing his position

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by Cherie

That was my point, he was abusing his position

Oh sorry.....it's been a long week

[Vicky.]

Is it really any wonder attacks on women are so common? There always seems to be some excuse, some reason why there cannot be an actual punishment. And thats for the couple that actually make it to court, which are far too few..

[Tom4784]

Just disgusting through and through, the fact he still has a job and the system catered to his needs above that of the victim's is just enraging. I'd be willing to bet this won't be the last time he faces a court.

[Alf]

It's illegal for a woman or a man for that matter to carry pepper spray, I think that law should change. Certainly for women, they should be allowed to carry pepper spray.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by AnnieK

Oh sorry.....it's been a long week

Oh lol, feet up Annie

[arista]

The Lady is on Ch4HDnews


Well done Millie Reporter Chasing the Copper
after he came out of Court.
By the time the Police got to scene
the Street footage was deleted.
It took the Police over 8 weeks to look into it.



A House Filmed it
It shows the Evil Copper Grabbing her


There is no Published reports on Police
being dismissed

[arista]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Just disgusting through and through, the fact he still has a job and the system catered to his needs above that of the victim's is just enraging. I'd be willing to bet this won't be the last time he faces a court.

He is Suspended
they should sack him fast
he is on probation,
so he will be dismissed

Now the that House that filmed him
attacking her was on Ch4HDnews.

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Alf

It's illegal for a woman or a man for that matter to carry pepper spray, I think that law should change. Certainly for women, they should be allowed to carry pepper spray.

Can't be doing that, those who attack women might actually get some consequences, if the women were able to defend themselves!

[GoldHeart]

What the hell

[GoldHeart]

Originally Posted by Alf

It's illegal for a woman or a man for that matter to carry pepper spray, I think that law should change. Certainly for women, they should be allowed to carry pepper spray.

Well it's not illegal to carry a safety alarm or dog spray .

[hijaxers]

Why is this predator not locked up ? because its seems judges are totally useless and always on the side for the attacker. I really don't know how these judges sleep at night ~ oh they are in the basment of their whip mistress.

[bitontheslide]

it's the equivalent of a kid being grounded by his parents for some minor misdemeanor, unbelievable

[Ammi]

...where do we even begin with this...another probationary police officer and all it took was for him to ‘have a few drinks’ and then to abuse the trust given to him by the police force...and having completely betrayed that, caused such far reaching anxieties/fears to someone, he’s given a £500 fine...what will it take to address this failure to protect women in our justice system...

[Ammi]

...’ The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) initially decided not to charge the officer, but changed its mind after the Women's Justice Centre intervened.’...


...so there wasn’t even going to be a charge brought at all until the Women’s Justice Centre intervened...not even the fine, nothing ...

[bitontheslide]

the whole thing stinks, all the excuses about delays investigating etc are just another symptom of them not giving a ****

[Ammi]

Male off-duty officer convicted of drunkenly assaulting woman resigns from West Midlands Police...


A male off-duty police officer convicted of drunkenly assaulting a woman has resigned from West Midlands Police.

Emma Homer, 37, was attacked by PC Oliver Banfield while walking home at about 1am on July 26 last year.

Mr Banfield was spared jail for the assault on Ms Homer, which sparked criticism from MP Harriet Harman, who said the “system fails women and protects men”.

The 25-year-old officer had been suspended from West Midlands Police and he will still face a misconduct hearing in due course, police said.

Ms Homer hit out at Warwickshire Police’s initial handling of her complaint after she was attacked by a “drunk” Mr Banfield while walking home in Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire.

During the sentencing hearing at Leicester Magistrates’ Court, CCTV footage showed Mr Banfield shouting at Ms Homer.

The footage showed him grabbing her and forcing her to the floor during the assault.

Mr Banfield admitted the offence at an earlier hearing in January, and on Friday he was handed a curfew and ordered to pay compensation and costs at Leicester Magistrates’ Court.

Deputy Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine, of West Midlands Police, said: “Today I have accepted the resignation of Pc Oliver Banfield.

“I want to stress that former Pc Banfield will still face an accelerated misconduct hearing, chaired by the Chief Constable, in the near future.

“The misconduct process had had to wait until after criminal and court processes concluded, because of police regulations.I will make the outcome of that hearing public as soon as I can.

“I recognise the distress Emma Homer, who was assaulted and verbally abused by Banfield, has suffered during this time.

“We have spoken to her today to update her on the resignation of former Pc Banfield and will continue to keep her updated.”

Ms Homer said that despite reporting the assault within hours of it happening, it took "more than 30 hours for an officer to take a telephone statement", "nine days for an officer to come and see her" and "eight weeks for an officer to conduct house-to-house enquiries".

In a victim impact statement issued through a relative, Ms Homer said the effects of the assault had left her with "anxiety, insomnia and stress" which had been "compounded by the slow response from Warwickshire Police".



....so although he’s resigned, there will still be an enquiry going ahead that (...presumably would have had him expelled from the force..?...)....

[Ammi]