Ex-PC accused of swinging drunk prisoner into wall

Summarised from Falmouth Packet's report · Updated 4 Nov, 22:02 · Archive

A police officer allegedly swung a drunk prisoner hard enough to smash his head into a wall, a misconduct hearing heard.

A police officer intentionally swung a drunk prisoner around with such force that he smashed his head into a wall in a custody suite, a misconduct hearing has heard. PC Michael Ireland then allegedly lied that the detainee, who lost a tooth in the incident, had struck the door himself. The Newquay-based officer also allegedly sprayed another drunk arrestee with irritant spray, calling him insulting names, and handcuffed and grabbed a third man by the throat, threatening to 'fold him in half in the back of the van'.

The incidents occurred across December 2023 and January 2024 and were recorded on CCTV and bodyworn camera footage. The misconduct hearing was told Ireland, who joined the police in 2007 and transferred to the Devon and Cornwall force in 2022, used excessive force against all three intoxicated men. Ireland admitted he had gone from 'zero to a hundred miles an hour' in the spray incident and acknowledged it was a 'punishment', and conceded he had 'went over the top' in the van incident. Ireland was not present at the hearing and left the force in December 2025.

Read the report

• Ex-PC lied after swinging drunk prisoner into wall, misconduct hearing toldA POLICE officer intentionally swung a drunk prisoner around with such force that he smashed his head into a wall in a custody suite, a misconduct hearing has heard.Falmouth Packet · 4 Nov, 15:44

In this story: PC Michael Ireland · Newquay · Devon and Cornwall Police · Merseyside Police

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