A Greater Manchester Police officer, Benjamin Heppenstall, found guilty of seizing a youngster by the neck at a children’s home, has been dismissed from the police following a misconduct tribunal.
Former Police Constable Benjamin Heppenstall was convicted by a jury at Bolton Crown Court in September of the previous year for assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) after he twice seized the 16-year-old by the neck and tore his T-shirt from his back.
In January 2021, Benjamin Heppenstall, stationed in GMP’s Wigan division, was addressing an incident unrelated to the boy, during which threats were reportedly directed at two ladies employed at the residence.
Two suspects were apprehended and were in a room with the two purported victims, who were uninjured. Benjamin Heppenstall instructed the youngster, seated near the suspects on a sofa, to exit the room and ‘go to bed’.
In a statement released on the day of his conviction regarding the incident, GMP said that the kid declined, and Benjamin Heppenstall ‘subsequently attempted to lift the boy from the sofa by his arm’. The force stated that he then placed his hand ‘forcefully’ around the boy’s neck and became ‘verbally abusive’.
He received a 36-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and was mandated to serve a term of community service.
Stephen Watson, the Chief Constable of GMP, conducted a misconduct hearing at the force headquarters in Newton Heath. The verdict has now been released on the agency’s website.
The verdict states that Benjamin Heppenstall has ‘acknowledged his violation of professional behaviour rules, including discreditable actions and the use of force’.
He acknowledged that his actions constitute serious misconduct. However, he reportedly believed that his acts were ‘necessary, appropriate, and justifiable’.
Chief Constable Watson stated, “He contends that although he does not concur with the jury’s verdict, he acknowledges the reality of his conviction, which necessitates his acceptance of having violated behavioural standards.”
He stated that the breaches were substantiated and constituted serious misconduct.
The offence occurred in January 2021, with Chief Constable Watson criticising a ‘wholly unacceptable wait inside the criminal justice system’ in his ruling.
He said he found Benjamin Heppenstall’s ‘culpability’ to be high.
“His actions were deliberate and unforced, and given his training and understanding, he should have known that his conduct was patently unlawful and contrary to the very clearest corporate expectations as to the behaviours and standards required of police officers both on and off duty,” added the Chief Constable in the ruling.
He said Benjamin Heppenstall acted in a ‘thoroughly offensive and unprofessional manner’ and ‘demonstrated scant regard for the rules of standard procedure’.
The Chief Constable added: “He was foul-mouthed and overbearing; and he created a situation whereby he had stepped away from any expectation that he might otherwise have had, that those with whom he was interacting would behave towards him as they might if he were behaving as might be expected of a well conducted officer.”
He said he considered Benjamin Heppenstall’s record of service and character references provided, but the ‘facts’ of the case ‘have obvious potential to substantially diminish public confidence’ in policing.
Benjamin Heppenstall was dismissed without notice. His name will be added to the Royal College of Policing’s ‘Barred List’, preventing him from serving as a police officer again.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.