Photographer gets settlement from police for mistreatment

[Darren Turner]

An Italian student has won an out-of-court settlement with police after she was stopped under anti-terrorist legislation while filming buildings in London, and later arrested, held in a cell for five hours and then fined.

Simona Bonomo filmed the moment she was approached by two police community support officers (PCSOs) in Paddington, west London, and later gave the footage to the Guardian.

The video, which went viral, showed one of the officers – PSCO Thomas Cooke – question the art student about why she was filming buildings "iconic to us" and demand to see images on her camera. In doing so he claimed to have powers that he did not have.

He and another PCSO then departed, only to return with other police officers who accused Bonomo, 34, of being aggressive. She was bundled to the ground and arrested.

After five hours in a cell, Bonomo was told to sign an £80 fixed penalty notice for causing "harassment, alarm and distress". In court, Bonomo was found not guilty of any offence and the Crown Prosecution Service said it was unclear why she had even been arrested.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/ma...rested-filming

I wonder if this will change anything though? Somehow I doubt it.

 

[Kev Pugh]

No it won't change a thing Daz, I was stopped and quizzed etc in Paddington a few years back.. guess i made someone hit list but sadly there are those that will continue to be total Arseholes because they think they can be .......sad times.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Mmmmmm not good

I do always try to be very positive and polite, rather than confrontational - that's about all you can do if confronted