EXCLUSIVE: Community groups, legal practices, members of the public and even Crystal Palace’s Holmesdale Fanatics have lodged formal complaints about aggressive behaviour by a Croydon-based officer, as ‘institutional racism’ at the Metropolitan Police is raised once more
A man who claims that Metropolitan Police Constable Perry Lathwood has harassed him and his wife near their Sussex home for the past eight years reacted to today’s disciplinary panel decision by claiming that the officer represents a public danger.
Written warning: PC Perry Lathwood
Lathwood, 51, who works for the Met in Croydon, faced possible dismissal from the police over allegations that he breached standards of professional behaviour regarding the force he used in a controversial “bus stop arrest” of a black woman on Whitehorse Road in July 2023.
But community groups and legal practices based in Croydon, as well as the national Football Supporters Association and members of the public, report how Lathwood’s approach, when on and off-duty, has often been overly aggressive and forceful.
Nigel and Sheila Jacklin say that Lathwood lives in the same seaside hamlet of Norman’s Bay, and that he has been conducting an intimidation campaign against them for eight years. They have been subjected to 12 investigations by Sussex police in six years, without any charges ever arising.
Nigel Jacklin attended today’s hearing in London to see whether any disciplinary action might finally be taken against Lathwood.
“The panel stated that Lathwood is not a danger to the public,” Jacklin said. “Many will disagree. My view is that he does represent a threat to the public, whether that be due to his aggressive attitude, ineptitude and ignorance of the law, inability to get facts right or by virtue of his willingness to make false and malicious allegations.
“The fact that he did receive a written warning does have consequences, so I welcome this.
“But many people will be disappointed with the panel decision.
“The mother who made the complaint and gave evidence against Lathwood twice – once at the court case last year, and then here – was brave in coming forward.”
They had gathered evidence of other incidents in which Lathwood had used excessive and unnecessary force when on duty. The Football Supporters’ Association had compiled a dossier of complaints about the officer’s conduct at football matches, including video showing him using his baton on supporters.
Signatories to the letter included the South West London Law Centre, the Public Interest Law Centre, Black Lives Matter, Croydon Stand Up To Racism and the Holmesdale Fanatics.
“By continuing to employ and support an officer convicted of assaulting and unlawfully arresting a black woman in front of her son, you are perpetuating institutional racism,” the letter said.
This included a raid on the couple’s home by two van-loads of Sussex police in February 2020, “who bashed down our door”, according to the Jacklins.
Long-suffering: Nigel and Sheila Jacklin say that they have endured a campaign of harassment since 2017
“They took our laptops, phones… as well as the written response to our complaint about Lathwood and equipment we were using to record harassment by him and his wife,” they said. It would be 14 months before Nigel Jacklin had his laptop returned.
Complaints to the police, in Sussex and London, have drawn no action over the constable’s conduct.
“We have now been investigated 12 times by Sussex Police with no action taken against us,” Nigel Jacklin told Inside Croydon.
“We are awaiting a response to our latest complaint.”
Read more: Bus ticket police officer gets written warning over misconduct
Read more: Community groups demand dismissal of convicted Met officer
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Perry Lathwood is 51 years old and only a Police constable so clearly even the (blinkered) Met Police don’t hold him in high regard either ?!
Apparently, according to the two senior officers who turned up at his criminal prosecution appeal, Perry’s very useful at football grounds and when doing a turn for the TSG.
Lathwood’s charmed life in the Met and undue influence over the Sussex constabulary might be explained by him quite possibly being a Freemason.
Following an inquiry into the brutal murder of a journalist in Sydenham in 1987, the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel recommended that Metropolitan Police officers be required to declare their membership.
Met bosses are actively considering this following not just the recommendation but many previous allegations of corruption.
The police trade union leader has poured scorn on the proposal. “Will membership of golf clubs, religious organisations, or even the Women’s Institute be next?”, whined Matt Cane.
If Cane and his members could find a whiff of evidence of WI members’ corruption affecting the justice system, no doubt they’d have arrested them.
It’s only through recent concerted efforts by senior management that the nonces that infest the force have started to be removed. How many of them have the secret handshake? I think we should be told
doesnt take away from the fact that if the woman in question on the bus had showed her proof of ticket payment , Transport Police would never have involved him…
The fact is, the woman did show her ticket. All parties have accepted that course of events.
I simply can’t trust people called Perry anymore, that name was tainted long ago and anyone called Perry should be removed from all positions of power or influence.