A GMP officer has been dismissed after a misconduct hearing for assaulting a boy at a children’s home
Greater Manchester: A police officer from GMP has been let go after a serious incident at a children’s home. Benjamin Heppenstall was found guilty of grabbing a 16-year-old boy by the neck.
This all went down back in January 2021 when Heppenstall was responding to a situation that didn’t even involve the boy. He was supposed to be dealing with some suspects who had allegedly threatened staff at the home.
When the boy didn’t listen to Heppenstall’s orders to leave the room, things escalated. Heppenstall first tried to pull him up by his arm, but then he went too far and grabbed the boy by the neck. That’s when he got verbally aggressive, which is just not okay.
After a jury found him guilty of assault, he was sentenced to 36 weeks in jail, but it was suspended for a year. He also has to do community service. The Chief Constable of GMP, Stephen Watson, led the misconduct hearing and made it clear that Heppenstall’s actions were completely unacceptable.
Watson pointed out that Heppenstall’s behavior was not just a mistake; it was a serious breach of professional conduct. Heppenstall admitted that he messed up, but he still thought his actions were justified, which is hard to believe.
In the end, Heppenstall was dismissed without notice and will be added to a list that prevents him from being a police officer again. It’s a tough lesson, but it’s important for the public to trust those who are supposed to protect them.
