Former officer admits assault on taxi driver

A FORMER Lincolnshire Police officer has been found guilty of gross misconduct after being convicted for the assault of a taxi driver.

Former PC James Froggatt admitted to assaulting a taxi driver while outside Lincoln train station following an alleged dispute over the cab being fully booked at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, September 25.

Froggatt was ordered to pay a fine, along with associated costs, compensation, and a victim surcharge. He subsequently resigned from the force on Friday, December 1.

Initially, Froggatt was also accused of racially aggravated assault, but this was later dropped. The former constable was absent during an accelerated misconduct hearing at Grantham Police Station on Friday, December 8.

There, he was found to have breached the professional standards of authority, respect and courtesy and discreditable conduct. Chief Constable Chris Haward said the former officer would have faced dismissal if he had not already resigned.

Callum Scott, representing him, emphasised that the assault was not racially motivated.

Representatives from the force argued that Froggatt’s actions not only violated professional behaviour standards but represented a ‘fundamental breach’ of the public’s trust in the police.

Liz Briggs, for Lincolnshire Police, said: “The officer has been convicted of a criminal offence. It’s right that officers are responsible for enforcing the law, which means that it’s unacceptable for them to break the law themselves.”

She added: “We would concede that it doesn’t seem to be targeted or planned behaviour, but the officer could have reasonably foreseen the risk of harm by behaving in this way.

“We would say that the only outcome in respect of this matter, given the serious nature of this misconduct, would be that the officer should have been dismissed had he not already resigned.”