Court hears how mother felt ‘violated’ during Croydon fare evasion incident

A mother felt “violated” after she was “unlawfully” arrested by a police officer in front of her young son during a fare evasion incident in Croydon last summer, a court has heard.

Police Constable Perry Lathwood, 50, of Norman’s Bay, East Sussex, denied one charge of assault by beating during the arrest of Jocelyn Agyemang in Croydon.

Afterwards she was left with bruising injuries to her arm, City of London Magistrates’ Court heard on Friday.

The court heard police officers were helping ticket inspectors on a bus in Whitehorse Road, Croydon, on July 21.

Ms Agyemang was dropping her son off at her mother’s house before heading to an appointment in Marylebone, scheduled for 12.30pm.

After she and her son got off the bus at around 11.00am, she was asked to show she had paid her fare by a bus inspector, but did not.

When she continued to try to walk away she was arrested and handcuffed by PC  Lathwood – who is attached to the Met’s Road Traffic Policing Command – on suspicion of fare evasion.

A crowd gathered, with people filming the officer and asking him why he had arrested her.

According to the BBC, Footage of the incident – which was shown to the court – shows Ms Agyemang asking the officer: “Can you get off me, please? Can you get off my arm? 

“You don’t understand, I have done nothing wrong.”

She was later let go and her handcuffs were removed after officers confirmed her fare was valid.

Ms Agyemang told the court she felt “a bit degraded” by the incident, which she said was “very scary”, the BBC reported.

In court, PC Lathwood denied that he arrested Ms Agyemang so that he could use force against her.

The trial comes after PC Lathwood was charged with assault in January, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which concluded in December 2023. 

The police watchdog passed a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised charges against the officer.

The IOPC received a “complaint referral” from the Met on July 24, 2023. In August 2023, the IOPC confirmed it had opened an investigation into the incident.

The trial continues.

Pictured top: City of London Magistrates’ Court, where the trial is being held (Picture: Google Street View)