PC given suspended sentence for punching man in face she had already arrested

A Met officer has been found guilty of assault by beating following an arrest of a man in Lambeth – but has avoided jail.

PC Claudia Pastina, attached to the Central South Basic Command Unit, was given a 16-week sentence, suspended for two years. She was also fined £748.

The case was heard at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

She now faces a misconduct hearing after what a senior police spokesman described as “completely unacceptable” behaviour.

On Saturday, February 19, PC Pastina and a colleague attended an address in Stockwell Park Road, Stockwell, following a report of a man acting suspiciously.

On arrival, they found the man and asked him to leave the area. He refused to do so and they attempted to lead him away but he resisted, resulting in handcuffs being applied.

The male bit PC Pastina and caused minor injuries to a second officer using a set of keys.

After arresting him for assaulting an emergency worker, PC Pastina then delivered a number of strikes to the man’s face.

Following a criminal investigation by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards, she was charged in August and placed on restricted duties.

Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove, in charge of policing for Lambeth and Southwark, said: “The public trust us to use the powers we have fairly, professionally and act with the highest standards at all times.

“In this case the high standards we expect were not met. PC Pastina’s actions were completely unacceptable.

“We will always investigate allegations of wrongdoing and take the appropriate action. Misconduct proceedings will now follow.”

The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards is now progressing a misconduct investigation.

Pictured top: New Scotland Yard (Picture: The Met)