NUNN: POLICE OFFICE CLAIMS HE WAS ATTACKED

 police officer accused of trying to frame a suspect for an alleged assault told a jury: ‘I am absolutely sure I was hit.’

Sergeant Timothy Nunn, 41, is said to have made up bogus allegations that Amir Miah punched him three times in the back while in custody.

Nunn is on trial alongside fellow police sergeant Lee Morgan, 40, who is said to have helped his colleague invent the assault claim.

The two police officers claim Mr Miah punched Nunn when he went to check on him at Plaistow station after the suspect had been arrested for possession of heroin with intent to supply on April 8, 2009, 

Prosecutors claim the allegation was designed to cover up Nunn’s forceful restraint of Mr Miah during which the prisoner’s head was covered with a blanket and the two men grappled with one another.

Audio recordings taken outside the cell captured the officers talking in the wake of the incident, allegedly colluding over their version of events, Southwark Crown Court has heard.

But giving evidence, Nunn told the court that despite CCTV footage not showing any punches being thrown, he had been assaulted.

As the jury watched the footage frame by frame, he said: ‘I believe it was around this time [05.34am] that I was punched by Mr Miah.

‘You can see the PC holding on to the legs and she appears to be looking down to his feet and away from his body.

‘Sgt Morgan appears to be reacting to something.

‘I had my back to Mr Miah and my right side was across his body.’

He was then asked by his barrister if he could see Mr Miah strike him on the CCTV and was he sure it happened.

He replied: ‘I am absolutely sure I was hit.’

Nunn said that when he first went into the cell Mr Miah had been abusive and he had feared for his safety, but denied losing his temper as he restrained him.

‘Mr Miah presented a threat to me and I took the instant decision that I should take control of the situation,’ he said

‘At this point and at no point previous to it had I been able to see Mr Miah’s hands and I believed that he may be posing a threat to me.

‘I recall that his body language and his aggressive demeanour gave me these signals.

‘I grabbed hold of the blanket that was around his shoulders and I pulled it over his head with a view to lowering his head.

‘Within our officer safety training we are taught that if you are able to lower somebody’s head it has a number of effects – it puts them off balance and it limits their field of vision.’

He said that following his initial efforts he was joined by Sgt Morgan and a third officer who helped to bring Mr Miah under their control.

It is claimed Nunn is captured on tape asking Morgan ‘How many time did he punch me in the back?’ and the officer responds ‘About three times weren’t it?’.
 
Prosecutor Jane Osborne described it as an ‘initial attempt to collude and get their stories together’.
 
Nunn, from Benfield, Essex; and Morgan, from Canvey Island, Essex; deny one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
 
The trial continues.
ENDS