Police inspector Dean Gittoes handed unpaid work order

Dean Gittoes denied assault by beating but was found guilty

A police inspector who assaulted a 16-year-old for filming him "abused his power", a judge has said.

Dean Gittoes, 49, was given a community order for assaulting the "vulnerable" teen in Merthyr Tydfil in August 2021.

Judge Sophie Toms said the case was aggravated by Gittoes' "abuse of power" and "degradation" of his victim.  

Gittoes, of South Wales Police, was found guilty of assaulting the teen and was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work over a 12-month period.

The teen said he was "auditing" the town's police station when he was assaulted.

The practice of auditing originated in America and is where people film police stations and government buildings and their subsequent interactions with police officers before posting the footage online.

The court was previously played footage from a now-deleted YouTube video which showed Gittoes "roughly grabbing" the teenager, who could be heard saying "I can't breathe" and "he's choking me" after being "unlawfully" detained and taken into the custody suite.

Gittoes called the teenager an "internet freak" who would "learn the hard way".

Christopher Rees, defending, said the incident had been a "moment of madness" and that the officer would lose his career, which he described as a "significant punishment" and a "significant fall from grace".

Newport Magistrates' Court heard that Gittoes had been a police officer for 24 years and earned £3,000 a month after tax as an inspector.  

The incident happened outside Merthyr Tydfil police station

Judge Toms added: "There was no justification for approaching him the way you did, no justification for putting your hands on him, and no justification for arresting him.

"It was a continued unlawful assault."

However, she said she took into account that it was "out of character" and a "one-off".

As well as the community order, Gittoes was ordered to pay £1,275 in costs and compensation.  

Independent Office for Police Conduct director for Wales, Catrin Evans, said: "While there are occasions when the use of force is required, police officers are entrusted with the power to do so only if it is necessary, reasonable, and proportionate in the circumstances."

Ch Supt Mark Lenihan of South Wales Police's professional standards department, said: "Now that the criminal trial has concluded the force can deal with misconduct matters.

"The incident was voluntarily referred by South Wales Police to the Independent Office for Police Conduct to ensure it received independent oversight."