Police officer who Tasered force's race relations adviser is cleared by a judge

Judah Adunbi taser
The moment Judah Adunbi, a former member of the Independent Advisory Group to Avon and Somerset Police, was allegedly hit with a taser Credit: SWNS

A police officer has been found not guilty of assault after Tasering a police race relations adviser in the face having mistaken him for a suspect.

PC Claire Boddie of Avon and Somerset Police was cleared of unlawfully discharging the weapon on January 14 last year having wrongly identified Judah Adunbi as a man with an arrest warrant against his name.

But she could still be sacked from her job after the Independent Office for Police Conduct said she still had a case to answer for gross misconduct.

District Judge Tan Ikram found PC Boddie, 47, not guilty of assault by beating following a hearing at Salisbury Magistrates' Court on Friday.

The trial was told that Mr Adunbi, who had acted as a race relations adviser for the force, had been mistaken for a suspect on numerous occasions.

Ms  Boddie had argued that she used reasonable force when she Tasered the 64-year-old in the street outside his Bristol home.

The incident was captured on video by a passer by and went viral.

There was silence in the court as the verdict was announced the police officer sat in the dock looking at the floor.

Mr Adunbi and his supporters left the room immediately after the judge left.

Judge Ikram said: "The issue for me is whether the prosecution have persuaded me that she didn't act in self-defence. The prosecution failed to persuade me and she is found not guilty of assault for that reason."

Judah Adunbi pictured at his home in Easton, Bristol Credit: SWNS

Richard Posner, prosecuting, had explained that Mr Adunbi had become increasingly frustrated and swore at officers when they approached him at around 9am as he walked to his house in the Easton area of Bristol.

He refused to identify himself, as was his legal right, but a scuffle ensued and he was hit in the jaw with the Taser, the court heard.

Giving evidence, Mr Adunbi said: "I heard a noise. Then it felt like my head was frying."

In body-worn camera footage shown to the court, both officers told Mr Adunbi they believed he looked like Royston McCalla - a suspect wanted by police for failing to turn up to court - who had warnings for violence and weapons on his file.

Mr Adunbi can be heard repeatedly shouting at them to leave him alone, claiming they were "victimising" him, he was being pursued for "no f****** reason" and the officers were "racist".

In the video, when asked to give his name he can be heard saying: "Why are you following me around? F****** leave me alone.

"Don't ask me any questions, I don't give a damn. Go and find who you're looking for. I'm not giving you my name, because it is my right. I have done no wrong.

"I don't have to tell you sweet jack. You wanna arrest me? Go on. Arrest me."

Mr Posner said Mr Adunbi had his hands by his side before the alleged assault, and in footage he appears to have pushed away from the officers and stands apart from them in the street.

As he fell to the ground, a bystander who was filming the incident, can be heard telling the police: "That was totally uncalled for and unnecessary."

At this point Mr Adunbi throws his wallet on the floor, pointing to it and repeatedly yelling at officers: "There's my ID, check my ID, why won't you check my ID," before giving his full name.

Mr Posner said: "He made it clear it was not him. He wasn't under arrest. He was upset and swore at the defendant. There was no good reason for (discharging the Taser)."

But the judge said he had failed to be convinced by the prosecution case.