Tuesday 4 October 2022 05:51 PM Ex-Met Police officer who grabbed a man by the throat and threw him to the ... trends now
A former Met Police officer who grabbed a man by the throat and threw him to the ground while on duty was spared jail.
Archie Payne, 28, was responding to reports of a fight in east London when he attacked Scott Rooney, unprovoked, outside a Wetherspoons on January 5, 2020.
Bodycam footage showed Payne grab Mr Rooney's throat, push him to the wall and lie on top of him. The ex-officer was charged with assault by beating in July 2020 and ultimately convicted in May 2021 following a trial.
Payne was ordered to pay a total of £1,632 in compensation to Mr Rooney, 26, and court costs last June. The former officer - who left the force to become a train driver - appealed his conviction in June of this year but the appeal was not upheld and he was re-sentenced on Tuesday.
Payne was handed a four-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months.
The judge noted that if it were not for a case delay, Payne 'would be serving an immediate prison sentence.'
Former Met Police Officer Archie Payne (pictured in 2020) was spared jail on Tuesday
Payne had grabbed Scott Rooney (pictured) by the throat and threw him to the ground, unprovoked, outside an east London Wetherspoons on January 5, 2020
Mr Rooney had told a court how he was attacked after he tried to take a picture of Payne's colleague, PC Jack Wood, and his officer number outside the Worlds Inn in South Street.
The railway engineer had touched PC Wood's jacket lapel to which Payne told him 'there's no need to touch him.'
Video of the incident shows Payne said 'tell you what mate, we'll deal with you' as he took Mr Rooney to the ground.
PC Jack Wood, struck Jake Smith, 26, with his baton during the same incident, causing a gash to his skull.
The Met received a formal complaint about the force used by both officers.
Payne had denied assault by beating but was convicted of common assault against Mr Rooney. He was re-sentenced in court on Tuesday after losing a prior appeal.
The judge, Mr Recorder Ben Douglas-Jones, KC, sitting with magistrates, said: 'But for the delay in this case, the judgement could not be suspended.
'If we were sentencing the appellant in the magistrates' court all those months ago, he would be serving an immediate prison sentence.'
Last month a Met Police misconduct panel had found Payne had breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to 'discreditable conduct' and 'use of force'.
The panel decided former PC Payne would have been dismissed without notice.
Mr Douglas-Jones concluded the sentencing and said: 'I am very sorry it has
