Complaint: Lynette Wallace said the way she was
treated while in police custody triggered the premature birth of
daughter Charna (pictured)
Three police officers are facing
charges of gross misconduct after a heavily pregnant woman claimed she
was assaulted, left half-naked and handcuffed for 11 hours while in
custody.
Lynette Wallace, 42, was seven-and-a-half months pregnant at the time and went into premature labour days after the incident.
Her
baby Charna, now nearly two, was born 10 weeks early by emergency
caesarean and was treated with a ventilator in hospital. Miss Wallace
claims she now has developmental problems caused by her premature birth.
An
Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation found an
inspector and two sergeants 'had a case to answer' for gross misconduct
charges regarding the amount of time Miss Wallace was handcuffed, while
one sergeant was also accused of failing to help her get childcare for
her other six children.
It also recommended two other sergeants and two PCs face disciplinary proceedings in relation to the incident.
Miss Wallace's claim that the stressful situation caused her to go into labour early was not part of the investigation.
The mum-of-six, from Aspley, Nottinghamshire, was held on suspicion of blowing up a car in 2011 but charges were later dropped.
She was pregnant with her seventh child when she was arrested at her home
on July 7 on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and
intimidating a witness.
She was taken to the
force’s Bridewell custody suite in Nottingham where she claims she was
told to remove her trousers, which she agreed to do.
After telling officers she
had a history of self harm she claims they forcibly removed the
clothing from her top half, cutting her bra off with a knife, The Guardian reported.
She was left handcuffed in the cell
for 11 hours before she was interviewed and was then 'repeatedly punched
in the arm by police officers' when she refused to be handcuffed again
as she was in pain.
She said: 'The police officers jumped on me and assaulted me and left me in handcuffs for 11 hours while I was heavily pregnant.
'The assault caused me to go into premature labour which almost killed my baby. I am extremely angry and want justice.'
Investigation: An IPCC report has recommended
several officers have disciplinary hearings while three should face
gross misconduct charges
Stressed: Miss Wallace claimed she was stripped half naked and handcuffed for 11 hours
Miss Wallace was also very worried about her children, as no-one was there to pick them up from school.
The
next day Miss Wallace was charged with witness intimidation and arson
and appeared before Nottingham Magistrates who remanded her in custody.
She was taken to Peterborough Prison but started suffering cramps and bleeding.
An
ambulance was called to the prison and she was taken to hospital where
she had an emergency caesarean section on July 11, giving birth to
Charna who weighed just 3lb 3oz.
Miss
Wallace said: 'At one point, I wasn’t sure if she was going to live or
die. It was a nightmare, I have never gone through so much stress in my
life.'
The three police officers will face
the charges at a gross misconduct hearing next month, where they could
face dismissal from the force.
An IPCC spokesman told MailOnline it
had previously decided not to refer the case to the CPS for criminal
charges but it was now 'reconsidering'.
Arrest: The pregnant mother-of-six was charged with arson with intent and intimidation of a witness but the charges were dropped
He said: 'The IPCC has independently investigated the treatment of a woman while
she was in police custody at Bridewell custody suite in Nottingham in
July 2011. Among
the woman's complaints were that unnecessary and unreasonable force had
been used against her and that she had been left in handcuffs for
extended periods.
'At the conclusion of the investigation, the IPCC has recommended a
number of officers face disciplinary proceedings and that that three
police officers have a case to answer for gross misconduct.
'The IPCC is reconsidering
an earlier decision not to refer its final investigation report to the
CPS and will be discussing this with relevant parties.'
While a spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said it had received the IPCC report in March and was acting on the recommendations.
'
Until disciplinary proceedings, due to
take place in July, are completed, and until the IPCC makes public its
report, it would not be appropriate to make further comment,' he added.
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