Police officer cleared of assault on black man in 'mistaken identity'

Sergeant Emily Joshi, 30, from Watford, alongside Pc Ozan Yelken, 33, from Waltham Abbey, denied assaulting Emmanuel Ugborokefe by beating him and both were found not guilty after a trial at City of London Magistrates’ Court on September 30.

They were accused of assaulting Mr Ugborokefe while stopping him, in a case of mistaken identity, in Wykeham Road, Hendon, after a family shopping day on December 28, 2021, with his wife and two daughters in Oxford Street.

A previous hearing heard that Mr Ugborokefe said he “felt discriminated against” during the encounter.

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Mr Ugborokefe’s wife and children, then seven and eight, got out of their car during the incident and started screaming and crying, the court was told.

Giving evidence, Sgt Joshi said: “I believed I was dealing with a robbery suspect.”

She said the appearance of Mr Ugborokefe’s family “didn’t explain why he was on the road at that time of night” and added: “I didn’t know what had actually been stolen at that point and I didn’t know whether there were any weapons involved.”

She said “robbery is a violent offence” and “suspects are known to carry weapons”, claiming Mr Ugborokefe was “very obstructive and resisting and my main focus was on mine and my colleague’s safety”, adding that she thought he was a “danger to myself and my colleague”.

The case was heard at the City of London Magistrates’ Court . Picture: PA (Image: PA)

She said she fell over a wall during the struggle to handcuff Mr Ugborokefe.

Sgt Joshi and Pc Yelken were on patrol when they were called to reports of a Rolex robbery after two suspects ditched a car and fled on foot near Mr Ugborokefe’s location, the court was told.

Police were looking for two slim black males, wearing dark clothing with their hoods up, including one with fur on the hood, in connection to the alleged robbery, the court heard.

District Judge Neeta Minhas found both officers not guilty of common assault by beating, concluding that their conduct was “not disproportionate” but “reasonable in the circumstances”.

She also noted “both officers are of previous good character with no professional disciplinary findings against them” from their time in the force.

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