Nottinghamshire PC broke man's jaw while 'incredibly scared'

The confrontation happened in South Sherwood Street in Nottingham

A police officer accused of breaking a man's jaw has told a court he punched him because he was "incredibly scared" for his safety.

PC Edward Gordon is alleged to have caused grievous bodily harm to David Thomas in Nottingham in November 2019.

Mr Gordon said he was responding to an assault by Mr Thomas that had caused his police helmet to fall off.

The defendant told jurors at Leicester Crown Court he had been taught to escalate his use of force in training.

The trial was previously told Mr Thomas had been assaulted by a group of males close to a pub in South Sherwood Street.

Mr Gordon told jurors Mr Thomas pushed him to one side to confront a member of the public, causing him to lose his helmet.

The defendant said: "I had just been assaulted and David Thomas is still trying to get to the man so I am concerned for his safety and mine, so I have gone straight in to defend myself.

"At that point my entire focus was on David Thomas and what he had just done to me."

'Incredibly scared'

Mr Gordon's defence barrister asked him why he escalated his techniques.

"That's what you are taught in safety training," he replied.

"You escalate your force to more than what is being done to you.

"I'm incredibly scared for my safety at that point and for a member of the public.

"I believed David Thomas could assault me again and go on to assault a member of the public so I needed to take immediate action."

'Three punches'

The defendant made a comment to a colleague about not being able to justify his use of force.

Asked why he had told a fellow officer he did not believe he could justify his use of force, Mr Gordon said: "It is not an incident I have walked away from with injuries and I have punched someone in the face three times.

"It was a spur of the moment comment.

"I do to this day believe I can justify it."

Responding to claims he had just lost his temper, the defendant said: "I would say that's not the case."

At the time of the incident Mr Gordon was working his first night-time economy shift.

He denies unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Thomas.

The trial continues.