Serving police officer jailed for Christmas after assault conviction

Pc Neville Bridgewood is now suspended from West Midlands Police pending a misconduct hearing.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court (Joe Giddens/PA) (PA Archive)

A serving police officer found guilty of assaulting a man accused of failing to pay bus fare will spend Christmas behind bars after being jailed for three months.

Pc Neville Bridgewood, of West Midlands Police, was convicted after a two-day trial at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court last month, the force said.

The 39-year-old was found guilty of an assault during an altercation on a bus outside Bilston station, near Wolverhampton, on September 26.

Bridgewood was among several officers who responded to a panic alarm triggered on the bus.

We expect the highest standards of conduct from our officers and will bring to justice those who fall below that standard including bringing criminal charges

West Midlands Police

A man had allegedly failed to pay the fare, and during the incident the male was pushed by Bridgewood, falling to the floor and cutting his leg in the process.

Bridgewood, a neighbourhood officer who had been on non-public facing duties since the decision to charge him earlier this year, has now been suspended pending the outcome of a force misconduct hearing, set to be held in due course.

Following sentencing, a West Midlands Police spokesman said: “We expect the highest standards of conduct from our officers and will bring to justice those who fall below that standard including bringing criminal charges.”