Lincolnshire Police officer denies misconduct over student's treatment

The hearing into PC Wales's conduct is being held at Grantham Police Station

A Lincolnshire Police officer has denied misconduct over his treatment of a vulnerable school student.

PC Nathan Wales is alleged to have pushed the boy against a wall, used an irritant spray and handcuffed him at his school, while another colleague fired a Taser.

The officers had been called to the school in July 2022 due to an incident.

In a later police interview, PC Wales said the boy had "presented a physical threat" to him.

A misconduct panel hearing at Grantham Police Station has heard that officers were called to the school on 14 July last year.

Another boy had smashed planters, thrown bricks and attacked a member of staff, the independent panel was told.

During the 999 call, a member of staff said "five or six" students had climbed on top of the school minibus, thrown mud at a car and got onto the office roof at the school.

'I'm done, I'm done'

However, Adam Keenaghan, acting for Lincolnshire Police, said students in the school's kitchen area were "reasonably calm" when officers arrived.

Mr Keenaghan said PC Wales had told the students to go back to the main school building or he would "lock you up for criminal damage".

PC Wales "initiated physical contact by putting his hands on him [the boy] and had him in handcuffs," he said.

"He pushed him against a wall and put his hands around his neck and used PAVA spray on him."

Video footage played to the hearing showed PC Wales's colleague then use his Taser.

"I'm done, I'm done. You made my eyes burn," the boy was heard saying.

A member of staff from the school, which has students aged 11 to 16 with behavioural or special educational needs, told the panel she "heard a lot of shouting" as she walked into the kitchen area.

She told the hearing she saw the "police officer had the child up by the throat" and she ran to get between them.

"I asked the police officer a number of times to let go and let me do my job and he basically said he was going to arrest him," she said.

"I felt very guilty afterwards because I could not protect the children as much as I wanted to. I just wanted the police officer to let go of him."

'Red raw'

Under questioning by Adam Birkby, for PC Wales, she said she had seen the teenager push the officer away and force the officer onto a table, but had not seen the child punch the officer.

Another staff member told the hearing that "everyone's eyes were red raw" from the spray, adding it was "chaos".

"We called the police because we needed help - and it just went completely the opposite way," the staff member said.

In police interview, PC Wales had said he wanted to engage with the students "at a level they would understand".

He said he had used force because the boy had "presented a physical threat" to him.

PC Wales is alleged to have breached professional behaviour standards in respect of discreditable conduct, authority, respect and courtesy, use of force and duties and responsibilities.

He is also accused of a failure to conduct duties diligently and a failure to treat children with respect or courtesy during the incident.

He is also alleged to have used unnecessary, unreasonable, or disproportionate force, and his conduct was "likely to undermine public confidence in the police".

If found proved, PC Wales's conduct would amount to gross misconduct.

The hearing at Grantham Police Station continues.