Met officer who slapped boy guilty of assault

PC Sevda Gonen, 33, from Leytonstone, east London, claimed she slapped the boy as she was concerned for the boy's life

A Metropolitan Police officer who slapped a 16-year-old boy with mental health difficulties "multiple times in the face" as he was being transported to hospital has been found guilty of assault.

PC Sevda Gonen, 33, had denied the charge, claiming she was concerned for the boy's life during the journey on 13 November 2023 - while the prosecution argued "she allowed her frustrations to get the better of her".

Westminster Magistrates' Court also found Gonen and another Met PC, Stuart Price, 35, guilty of carrying out an unlawful search, amounting to assault by beating.

They will be sentenced on 24 January.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was in discussions with the Met regarding disciplinary proceedings.

'Lit cigarette in police car'

Police were initially called after the boy was reported to have been aggressive at his home address and acted violently towards a mental health worker who was attempting to perform an assessment.

Prosecutor Lyndon Harris said Gonen, from Leytonstone, east London, had "formed the impression that he was wasting their time by faking some form of mental illness".

Price, of Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire, offered to drive the boy to hospital in a police vehicle after his mother told officers she was concerned for her son's welfare.

The boy then climbed into the police vehicle but left his foot out, preventing the rear door from closing, the court heard.

Footage from inside the police vehicle showed the boy lit a cigarette and started to smoke.

The court heard that, after a struggle, the boy was placed in handcuffs but not arrested and was searched.

The prosecution said the search was unlawful as the boy had not been arrested.

'He's hot to touch'

Price could be heard on bodyworn camera footage, shown in court, telling Gonen: "Just to let you know he's been spitting in my face."

Gonen said she was worried about him spitting, so put a coat collar by his mouth, the court heard.

The boy's eyes lowered and he became less responsive, with Price heard on footage saying: "You alright, mate? We're just trying to help you, mate."

Price then said to Gonen: "Yeah, he's hot to touch."

In further footage shown to the court, Gonen then appears to slap the boy's face several times while holding him by the hair, causing his eyes to flicker.

Discussing her actions, Gonen told the court: "Any time there was a concern for his life, I decided the best course of action was to gently slap him on his cheeks.

"At that moment in time I thought I was saving somebody's life. I thought I was preventing a medical emergency from occurring."

Judge Briony Clarke said by her count the boy was slapped 16 times, and it was clear in her view that Gonen thought the boy was "faking it", then had "sought to explain her behaviour by reference to a known medical condition suggested to her at the time by another colleague".

'Unlawful'

The Metropolitan Police had referred the case to the IOPC last December.

IOPC regional director Mel Palmer said: "Police officers must have a lawful reason for detaining and searching any member of the public and all officers are aware that they must provide individuals with certain information during a search.

"These officers made no effort to explain their actions and in fact, both gave the IOPC different accounts as to what powers they were performing the search under. Today a judge has found that the search of the child was unlawful.

"Additionally, PC Gonen's actions in slapping the child to check he was conscious is not an approved method and was found to be a further unlawful use of force."