Louth PC cleared of misconduct

During a four-day hearing at Grantham Police Station, PC Nathan Wales consistently refuted claims that he intentionally grabbed the student by the throat before using discharging irritant spray.

An independent panel deemed PC Wales’ actions as “reasonable, necessary, and proportionate,” stating that he acted from a genuine concern for his own safety.

The Louth-based officer was dispatched to the school, designed for young people with behavioural issues, in July 2022 following a 999 call about a student reportedly spitting at and assaulting a teacher, and throwing bricks at vehicles.

In efforts to secure a group of students, he believed had access to the main gate, PC Wales found himself cornered in a kitchen area.

He described a situation where a male student advanced towards him. In response, PC Wales pressed his hand against the student’s abdomen, aiming to maintain a safe distance.

He admitted that, in the process, his hand might have come close to the boy’s throat but underscored that any contact was unintentional.

The agitated and “red-faced” student subsequently pinned PC Wales and struck him twice on his left bicep. In self-defence, PC Wales deployed his PAVA (pepper) spray.

However, it was the timely intervention of his colleague’s taser that facilitated the student’s arrest on charges of assaulting an officer and causing damage.

PC Wales joined the force as a full-time constable in 2020 but suffered a seizure linked to a medical condition in September 2021, ultimately delaying the completion of his training.