Police facing brutality inquiry
By Andrew Norfolk
The Times Saturday August 23rd 2003
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,175-788950,00.html
AN INQUIRY into allegations of police brutality has begun after a judge ruled that officers may have tried to frame an innocent man after kicking and beating him in an alleyway. District Judge Paul Firth ordered an investigation after throwing out charges of assault and threatening behaviour against Patrick Creaney,who was arrested on the night of his engineering company's Christmas party in Blackburn.
Mr Creaney, 29, a father of two, claimed that he was beaten unconscious and suffered a fractured ankle and bruising to his body and face after being handcuffed and taken to an alleyway where up to a dozen officers kicked him and hit him with a baton.The judge, sitting at Blackburn Magistrates' Court, described his treatment as "wholly disturbing", criticised flaws in the police evidence and accused officers of lying. He said: "I am going to acquit the defendant and people can draw their own conclusions."
Mr Creaney, of Roe Lee, Blackburn, who had never before been in trouble with the police, was in the centre of Blackburn on December 15. He said that he had an argument with his wife, Kelly, and in his anger kicked, but did not damage, a telephone kiosk.
Speaking after the case against him was dismissed, he said: "A policeman came over and demanded to know what I was doing. I apologised immediately. As I started to walk away I made a comment to Kelly. The next thing about five or six officers on patrol came up and handcuffed me and dragged me to an alley. I was on the floor and trying to protect myself as they were hitting and kicking me." Mrs Creaney said that she had witnessed the assault from start to finish. She said: "I was shouting and screaming (at) them to stop."
Lancashire Police said it would be holding a full investigation into the case. No officers have yet been suspended.
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