Metropolitan Police Officer Accused of Striking Teenager During Hospital Transport

A court has been informed that an officer from the Metropolitan Police allegedly hit a 16-year-old boy, who experiences mental health challenges, “multiple times in the face” while he was being taken to a medical facility. Police Constables Sevda Gonen, 33, and Stuart Price, 35, are currently standing trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. They face charges related to conducting an unlawful search, which is classified as assault by beating, an incident that occurred on November 14, 2023. PC Gonen, who resides in Leytonstone, is also accused of an additional assault charge, specifically for reportedly hitting the boy with an open palm after, as stated, “she allowed her frustrations to get the better of her”. Both police officers have entered pleas of not guilty to the accusations brought against them. Testimony presented in court indicated that law enforcement was summoned after reports that the boy had exhibited aggressive behavior at his residence and acted violently towards a mental health professional attempting to conduct an assessment. Prosecutor Lyndon Harris stated that PC Gonen “in particular disliked” the boy and “had formed the impression that he was wasting their time by faking some form of mental illness.” PC Price, who is based in Cambridgeshire, volunteered to transport the boy to the hospital in a police vehicle after his mother expressed concerns to the officers regarding her son’s well-being. According to court proceedings, the boy subsequently entered the police vehicle but kept his foot extended, thereby preventing the rear door from shutting completely. Video evidence recorded inside the police vehicle depicted the boy lighting a cigarette and beginning to smoke. The court was informed that following a physical altercation, the boy was restrained with handcuffs and subjected to a search, despite not being formally arrested. The prosecution contends that this search was illegal because the boy had not been arrested, and the officers lacked the authority to search him under either Section 32 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act or Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. Body-worn camera footage, presented in court, captured PC Price informing PC Gonen: “Just to let you know he’s been spitting in my face.” It was revealed in court that the officers subsequently decided to section the boy, and PC Gonen informed him that he was being sectioned under the Mental Health Act. PC Gonen testified, according to court records, that she was concerned about the boy spitting and therefore placed a coat collar near his mouth. The boy’s gaze dropped, and his responsiveness diminished, at which point PC Price was heard asking: “You alright, mate? We’re just trying to help you mate.” PC Price then remarked to PC Gonen: “Yeah, he’s hot to touch.” Video evidence presented to the court shows PC Gonen seemingly slapping the boy’s face multiple times while simultaneously grasping him by the hair. The prosecution asserts that this action amounted to assault by beating, arguing it was excessive, not a sanctioned method, and that “PC Gonen did not reasonably believe that it was necessary.” Mr. Harris characterized the situation as an “unusual case” that brought forth “important considerations of the exercise of police powers when dealing not with detained suspects but a vulnerable child in the throes of a mental health crisis.” The legal proceedings are ongoing.