11:10am Thursday 9th September 2010
SWINDON’S top cop has condemned the actions of Wiltshire police officer Mark Andrews branding his actions as ‘disgraceful’.
Chief Superintendent Paul Howlett said the actions of Sergeant Andrews who was caught on CCTV dragging 59-year-old Pamela Somerville across the floor of Melksham police station before throwing her into a cell, were disgraceful.
Andrews, 37, who was suspended on full pay after his conviction, was sentenced to six months in jail on Tuesday.
Speaking on BBC Wiltshire yesterday morning, Chief Supt Howlett said: “I’ve been a policeman now for nearly 30 years and I’m immensely proud to wear this uniform as indeed many of my colleagues are.
“When we see something like this it’s absolutely disgraceful and I think we’ve been clear in our condemnation of what we saw.
“If there’s any crumb of comfort I can take from this is the fact that what happened was reported by another police officer and whilst the pictures and the sounds speak for themselves I would like people to remember that most of us we’re here to help, we’re here to do good, we’re here to serve and sadly this has happened.
“I am desperately, desperately sorry for the lady and we can’t apologise enough, but I do take that crumb of comfort that one officer had the integrity to stand up and be counted.”
The images horrified people when they appeared in national newspapers and on TV news at the weekend.
The footage shows Ms Somerville being dragged across the floor of the police station by Andrews before being thrown into a cell. She was lying on the floor for a minute before struggling to get up with blood pouring from a head wound.
Ms Somerville was taken to Royal United Hospital in Bath and needed stitches in a gash above her eye.
Andrews, a former soldier, was convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm after a trial at Oxford Magistrates’ Court in July.
People in Swindon said what Andrews did was wrong.
Cath James, 61, of Greenmeadow, said: “I think it’s very bad, the fact is he shouldn’t have done it. I haven’t lost my trust in the police, for me personally like everything in life you get the good and the bad in all.”
Her husband Bob, 63, added: “You’re supposed to be able to trust them, you’ve got to show restraint in that position.
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