Cops ‘faked statements’ after fan attack
A royal protection officer and two other policemen fractured a football fan’s eye socket and then faked witness statements to prosecute him, a court heard.
PC Keith Darcy, 39, who worked for the Royalty and Specialist Protection division, assaulted Paul Lovell with firearms officer Inspector Paul Wakeford, 49 and PC Danny Hargan, 37, it is claimed.
The three officers then falsified typed and handwritten witness statements, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
The officers were serving with the Met’s Territorial Support Group (TSG), and policing the Spurs vs Arsenal match at White Hart Lane, Tottenham, in 2011.
Voratida Sangchant, prosecuting, said: ‘They are facing two counts, perverting the course of justice and causing actual bodily harm.
‘We say this matter should be sent up to the crown court.’
District Judge Kenneth Grant set a next hearing date of Southwark Crown Court on November 3.
Hargan, of Milton Keynes, Bucks, Darcy, of Leighton Buzzard, Beds, and Wakeford, of Cambridgeshire, are charged with assault causing actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.
Tottenham beat Arsenal 2-1 in the match, with Rafael Van de Vaart opening the scoring, Aaron Ramsey equalising, only for Kyle Walker to score the winner with a late drive from outside the box.
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