In the news this week was a disturbing case involving the brutal treatment of a 16-year-old girl by a serving Nottinghamshire Police officer; sadly demonstrating how some Officers cannot restrain their inner demons of anger and violence, even when it comes to dealing with children.
PC Kevin Markowski, aged 47, has been dismissed from the force without notice after a misconduct panel found he had used “unnecessary and disproportionate” force during an incident in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, in August 2022. That forensic phrase – ‘unnecessary and disproportionate’ – is a bloodless and bureaucratic piece of jargon, which disguises shocking details. According to findings from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the officer banged the teenage girl’s head against a police vehicle and placed his hands on her throat—not once, but twice—while restraining her in the back of the car.
The incident began after the girl became involved in what has been described as a verbal altercation in the street. She was detained on suspicion of breaching the peace and placed in a police vehicle. Despite being only 16 years old and clearly vulnerable, she was later handcuffed, and the situation escalated in a manner that is deeply concerning.
Body-worn video evidence showed PC Markowski with his hands on the girl’s neck or upper chest area. She later told investigators she had been strangled and reported struggling to breathe. Markowski claimed his hands were positioned on her ‘upper chest’ and denied impeding her breathing. He also argued that the force used was reasonable in the circumstances.
However, the disciplinary panel disagreed, and the outcome of the misconduct hearing was unequivocal: PC Markowski had significantly breached professional standards relating to duties and responsibilities, use of force, and discreditable conduct. He was also found to have behaved in a “disrespectful and discourteous” manner when he refused to give his collar number to a concerned member of the public during the same incident. Markowski has now been placed on the police barred list, effectively, and correctly, ending his career in law enforcement.
Nottinghamshire Police issued an apology to the girl and her family, acknowledging the distress caused and affirming the force’s commitment to public accountability. Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Rob Griffin stated:
“The panel found that Markowski’s actions were unnecessary and disproportionate and that his dismissal is necessary for maintaining public trust and confidence in policing.”
This is yet another case which demonstrates how helpful body worn video footage is, not only in assisting the legitimate actions of the Police, but also in furthering the societal good of “policing the police.” How many times, in the analogue- era before the existence of body cameras, would the predecessors of PC Markowski been able to get away with this type of brutality, hiding behind the protection of “he said, she said” with no objective way of favouring the teenager’s word against that of a sworn constable?
It is also worth noting that PC Markowski was acquitted in a separate criminal trial at Lincoln Crown Court in June 2023, where a jury found him not guilty of strangulation. However, the threshold for criminal conviction is understandably high – the case must be proven beyond reasonable doubt – and Police officers charged with crimes of violence often find themselves in front of highly sympathetic courts. Misconduct proceedings apply a different standard—based on the balance of probabilities—as, of course, do civil claims for compensation; and quite rightfully so: justice can be achieved via alternative routes.
Sadly, incidents such as this are not isolated. I have represented many young clients who have suffered unnecessary arrests and excessive force at the hands of Police Officers, including such shameful mistreatment as the handcuffing of a non- violent 13 year old boy the use of tasers against children as young as 10 and unjustified strip- searches.
Abuse of power is never more vile than when it is perpetrated against the most powerless.
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