Police officer who put girl in headlock found guilty of assault

A British Transport Police officer who put a 15-year-old girl in a headlock during an arrest has been found guilty of assault. PC Adrian Young, 48, used unlawful force in September last year at Camden Road railway station in north London, and was convicted after a trial at Westminster magistrates court. CCTV caught the officer putting the girl in a headlock for 30 seconds in the ticket hall, dragging her through the barrier and then restraining her against a wall. The court was told that the teenager complained of struggling to breathe when she accused the officer of using a “stranglehold” on her. The girl and her friend were seen pushing through the barriers after a station employee refused to let them pass for free. Young has been a part of the BTP for 19 years but during the trial on Wednesday said the two teenagers were “hysterical” and said he only grabbed the girl’s clothing. But Mark Gadsden, prosecuting, told the court: “He swung her around and got hold of her in a headlock with his arm around her neck. She was a 15-year-old child, and we say that degree of force was unnecessary, not reasonable in the circumstances, and not proportionate.” An Independent Office for Police Conduct spokesperson said: “The court heard that on 22 September 2024, BTP officers responded to a request for assistance from railway staff after a child pushed their way through ticket barriers at Camden Road overground station. “After PC Young approached the child, CCTV footage showed the officer restraining her by placing her in a headlock. The child remained in a headlock for approximately 30 seconds before PC Young pushed her back through the ticket barrier and placed his hand around her throat while pushing her up against a ticket machine. “PC Young handcuffed and arrested the child, and she was later de-arrested at the scene.” PC Young will also face a gross misconduct hearing for breaching the police standards of professional behaviour and is due to be sentenced on 13 November.