Four Metropolitan Police Officers Found Guilty of Affray in London Brawl

Strategic Insights -

Four Metropolitan Police officers, including Jack Sparkes, 34, Max Michaels-Dubois, 33, Daniel Dean, 38, and Kellsey Millar, 32, have been found guilty of affray after a drunken brawl with a group of Romanians on the Southbank in central London on December 1, 2023. The officers, attached to the Territorial Support Group (TSG), had spent the afternoon drinking beer before going to a boat party on the Thames. The brawl broke out after the officers accused a group of Romanians of attacking their colleague, Alex Fackerell, 32, and several fights ensued, with the officers punching and pushing a Romanian man to the ground. The officers claimed the Romanians posed a "threat" and they tried to protect each other, but were found guilty of affray by the jury at Inner London crown court.

Key Takeaways:

  • Four Metropolitan Police officers, Jack Sparkes, 34, Max Michaels-Dubois, 33, Daniel Dean, 38, and Kellsey Millar, 32, were found guilty of affray after a drunken brawl with a group of Romanians on December 1, 2023.
  • The officers, attached to the Territorial Support Group (TSG), had spent the afternoon drinking beer before going to a boat party on the Thames, where they continued to drink and eventually got into a fight with a group of Romanians.
  • The brawl broke out after the officers accused a group of Romanians of attacking their colleague, Alex Fackerell, 32, and several fights ensued, with the officers punching and pushing a Romanian man to the ground.
  • The officers claimed the Romanians posed a "threat" and they tried to protect each other, but their actions were deemed to be disproportionate and suggest a level of aggression that was unacceptable.
  • Judge Rosina Cottage has ordered presentence reports and all options are open, "including imprisonment" for the four officers, who were released on bail and will be sentenced at the court on October 22.
  • The incident raises concerns about the behavior of police officers, particularly after consuming alcohol, and the need for better training and protocols to handle such situations.

Statistics:

  • 4: The number of Metropolitan Police officers found guilty of affray.
  • 12: The number of people involved in the fight, including the officers and the group of Romanians.
  • 1: The number of head injuries suffered by Alex Fackerell, 32.
  • 22: The date (October) when the four officers will be sentenced at the court.
  • 1: The number of witnesses who testified that the Romanians were outnumbered and being unfairly attacked by the police officers.

Sources:

  • "Four police officers guilty of affray after Christmas party brawl with Romanian group" by Philip Stott, prosecution, Inner London crown court.
  • "Police officers guilty of affray after Christmas party brawl" by an unnamed source, Inner London crown court.
  • Metropolitan Police Service, Territorial Support Group (TSG) (no date).