A former police officer has been found guilty of misconduct after he punched a vulnerable man in the face and called him 'simple-minded pond scum' with 'smelly breath'. Jack Green, 28, punched the victim and told him he was 'p***ing his life away' as he was being detained at hospital for a mental health assessment. A disciplinary panel heard the ex-police constable struck the man while he was restrained and strapped on a hospital bed in handcuffs and a spithood.
It was found Green used excessive force when he hit the man in the face and hip in hospital on October 30, 2020. He also spoke to the suspect in a 'derogatory, disrespectful and discourteous' way by describing him as ‘simple minded’ and ‘pond scum’. He also told the man his breath 'stank' and said: "You take too many drugs or drink too much booze, or just generally p*** your life away.”
The gross misconduct panel ruled on Wednesday that Green would have been dismissed if he was still serving. The hearing followed a probe by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after a referral was made about Green's conduct in February 2021. A two month investigation found there was a case to answer for gross misconduct before Green resigned from the force in May last year. A three-day disciplinary hearing organised by the force and led by an independent and legally qualified chair, found the allegations were proven.
