PC James Burns cleared over pepper spray incident

PC Burns was cleared at Caernarfon Crown Court

A police officer has been cleared of assaulting a handcuffed man with pepper spray after arresting him in Gwynedd.

PC James Burns was found not guilty of common assault and two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm against Michael Stanley, 28, in Penrhyndeudraeth, on 10 April 2016.

He was also cleared of giving a false statement about what happened.

He had denied all the charges at Caernarfon Crown Court.

The case against another officer, PC Robin Humphreys, who had been accused of perverting the course of justice, was thrown out earlier in the month.

Judge Huw Rees said there was insufficient evidence to prove he had colluded with PC Burns by giving false statements about the incident.