PC Claudia Pastina appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court (stock photo)
(Picture: PA Archive)A Metropolitan Police officer is accused of threatening to punch a man in the face when she was called out to a housing dispute, a court heard.
PC Claudia Pastina, 30, directed a “verbal tirade” at Augustine Amatta, it is said, and is accused of threatening him with violence if he did not stay quiet.
The officer appeared in the dock at Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday to enter a not guilty plea to the charge of assault by beating.
“Ms Pastina is a police constable who attended an incident in her capacity as a PC”, said prosecutor Sudara Weerase.
“Mr Amatta was eventually found at an address – the individual living at the address suggested Mr Amatta shouldn’t be there, and Mr Amatta suggested he was the landlord and was entitled to be at the property.
“Ms Pastina tried to deal with him in her capacity as a PC. However, at one stage she tells him to shut his mouth. “She placed her hand across his mouth and goes to strike him in the face.
“She uses what was described as a tirade of verbal abuse towards him.
“She threatens him that if he doesn’t keep his mouth shut, she will punch him to his face.”
The incident happened on February 19 this year, at a flat in a high-rise block in Brixton.
The court heard Mr Amatta bit the PC’s finger while her hand was over his mouth, and she is accused of using “unecessary” language in the course of the alleged assault.
Her barrister, Luke Ponte, told the court a psychiatric assessment of the PC is being conducted, ahead of the trial which was set for December 12.
District Judge Sarah Turnock released Pastina, who lives in Greenwich, on unconditonal bail until the trial.
She denies the charge of assault by beating.
