Assault cop spared jail

A former Met Police officer who grabbed a man by the throat and threw him to the ground was spared jail today. Former PC Archie Payne, 28, grabbed a then 26-year-old Scott Rooney by the throat and threw him to the floor after responding to reports of a fight in Romford on 5 January 2020. His colleague, PC Jack Wood, struck 26-year-old Jake Smith with his baton during the same incident, causing a gash to his skull. Mr Rooney, a…