Is this assault?

Guy Aitchison, 31 March 2010
About the author

Guy Aitchison is co-editor of openDemocracy's UK blog, OurKingdom, and a PhD student in politics at UCL.

Take a look at the video and see. According to Judge Daphne Wickham, it isn't assault. She has just returned a not guilty verdict on Sergeant Delroy Smellie, of the Territorial Support Group, seen here striking protester Nicola Fisher (h/t @paul__lewis). Her reason given is that Smellie had a "mere seven seconds" to decide whether to use his baton. As we approach the anniversary of the G20 protests that leaves a grand total of zero officers convicted despite the well-documented use of excessive violence and hundreds of complaints to the IPCC. 

Smellie verdict? Stinks more like!

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