Police officer given suspended sentence over Taser assault

The allegations relate to an arrest at Derby railway station on a Bank Holiday Monday in May last year

A police officer who used a Taser on a man at a railway station has been handed a suspended sentence.

Andrew Spiby, a constable with British Transport Police (BTP), was sent to deal with a reported disturbance at Derby railway station on 28 May last year.

The 56-year-old was found guilty of assault following a two-day trial.

He was given a 16-week sentence, suspended for one year, at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

Spiby, of Suffolk Avenue in Derby, must also complete 120 hours of unpaid work and pay £500 compensation to the victim, £775 court costs and a £115 victim surcharge.

Another BTP officer was cleared of assault after the case against him was dismissed.

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The trial heard the suspect had complained about the level of force used by the officers in the altercation.

The man had "incapacitant spray" used on him in addition to the Taser.

Adrian Hanstock, deputy chief constable at BTP, said the force will review the court's findings.

"It is disheartening that a serving officer has been convicted of a criminal offence when carrying out their duties," he said.

"On this occasion however, an officer's actions have been scrutinised in court and judged to have been unreasonable, and the force will now have to consider the officers' motivation and the objective implications of this."

The Independent Office for Police Conduct completed an investigation in October and sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised charges in January.