Police officer who knocked student protester's tooth out with riot shield guilty of assault

 
One of the student protests in December 2010 (Picture: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty)
Tom Marshall21 May 2015
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A police officer has been found guilty of assault after knocking a man's tooth out during the 2010 student protests.

William Horner was trying to break free from a police kettle in Parliament Square when PC Andrew Ott struck him with his riot shield.

Mr Horner, a student at Royal Holloway, was among tens of thousands of people who took part in a series of protests against the trebling of university tuition fees more than four years ago.

Ott, 36, was found guilty of one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, but cleared of perverting the course of justice at Southwark Crown Court.

Jurors heard that Ott was taped on his personal recording talking about "getting" protesters who had gathered near the Houses of Parliament before he clashed with Mr Horner.

Jurors heard the moment the student was struck was captured on the audio device Ott had on his uniform.

In one clip he was heard saying: "Poked the little c*** right in the eye."

The protests saw riot police pelted with missiles, including rocks and concrete blocks, and statues in Parliament Square daubed with graffiti.

Ott, of Rochester, Kent, will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court at 9.30am tomorrow.

Two other officers, PC Calvin Lindsay and PC Thomas Barnes, were both cleared of perverting the course of justice.

No further action was taken against Mr Horner.

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