Nottinghamshire PC cleared of GBH after punching man on duty

The confrontation happened in South Sherwood Street in Nottingham

A policeman accused of breaking a man's jaw while on duty has been found not guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Edward Gordon, of Nottinghamshire Police, said he had been "incredibly scared" when he threw three punches at David Thomas in November 2019.

Prosecutors said he lost his temper when responding to an incident in Nottingham city centre.

The 21-year-old was cleared after a six-day trial at Leicester Crown Court.

The court heard Mr Gordon had been called to look after a man who was reportedly drunk and unconscious near a pub on South Sherwood Street at about 02:15 GMT, but then had to deal with the aftermath of a fight.

Mr Gordon, from Nottingham, told jurors he had escalated his use of force against Mr Thomas because "that's what you are taught in safety training".

Jurors saw CCTV footage of the incident, and were given legal guidance to acquit the defendant if they believed he "was or might have been acting in lawful self-defence" or if they were not sure that his punches had caused the fractured jaw.