Police officer sacked after CCTV incident

A police officer who was jailed but then cleared on appeal after being accused of throwing a woman head-first onto the concrete floor of a cell has been sacked by his force.

Sgt Mark Andrews was caught on CCTV dragging Pamela Somerville, 59, across the floor of Melksham police station in Wiltshire before shoving her into a cell.

The former soldier, who remained suspended on full pay, has been sacked by Wiltshire Police following an internal conduct hearing, which was held in private.

The officer was jailed for six months in September by a district judge at Oxford Magistrates' Court, who condemned him for abusing a position of trust.

Sgt Andrews spent six days behind bars before he was released on bail pending an appeal.

Last month at Oxford Crown Court, a judge quashed his conviction and sentence for assault causing actual bodily harm.

Mr Justice Bean said after the four-day hearing that he was satisfied Sgt Andrews did not intend to throw Ms Somerville into the cell and that injuries she suffered were probably caused by her falling to the floor after letting go of the door frame.

Ms Somerville needed stitches to a gash above her eye following the incident in July 2008. She had been detained for failing to provide a sample for a breath test after being found asleep in her car.