A lack of justice in UK system

A police officer was convicted of using excessive force after kicking a violent criminal once in the leg to prevent him reaching for a weapon.

The criminal, who had a history of assault, had resisted arrest and no injury was caused by the kick.

The judge accepted that the officer kicked out to defend himself because he believed that the criminal was reaching for a weapon.

However, the officer was still found guilty of assault and was given a 12-month conditional discharge.

The officer who had an exemplary record now faces losing his job. Contrast this with the case reported in the Shropshire Star of the persistent offender who deliberately mowed down a police officer on a scooter.

The officer was left fighting for his life and now suffers long-term brain injury.

The judge and the Criminal Prosecution Service lowered the original charges of attempted murder to dangerous driving to get the offender to plead guilty

The offender was subsequently sentenced to eight months in prison, but will serve less than half that.

I was at a loss to understand why judiciary, lawyers and Government ministers repeatedly claim that we have the finest legal system in the world, until I realised that the world they refer to is not the one I live in.

P Brennan, Newport