Met Police officer jailed for assaulting woman on the street in south London

A Met Police officer has been jailed for one year and four months after assaulting a woman in south London while off-duty.

PC Thomas Andrews was arrested around 1am on July 9 last year, after officers on patrol in Brockley Rise, Forest Hill, were alerted to the assault by members of the public.

A woman known to PC Andrews, who had “suffered grazing having been pushed to the ground”, made a report about the incident.

PC Andrews, a serving officer in the Met’s Central South Command Unit, was arrested at the scene.

The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards was informed and he was suspended from duty.

Two days after his arrest, PC Andrews was charged with ABH as well as one count of criminal damage and three counts of intentional strangulation, following an investigation by officers from the South East Command Unit.

He pleaded guilty causing actual bodily harm at Woolwich Crown Court on January 19, and was on Monday sentenced at the same court to one year and four months in prison.

PC Andrews was also handed a restraining order.

No evidence was offered by the prosecution in relation to the charges of strangulation or criminal damage.

Scotland Yard said he would now face a misconduct hearing “as soon as possible”.

Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, who leads the Central South Command Unit, said: “I am saddened by this incident and grateful to members of the public who raised the alarm, resulting in PC Andrews’ prompt arrest.

“Under the leadership of Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, everyone in the Met is clear that we must root out those who corrupt the integrity of our organisation. This will take time, but we are absolutely committed to achieving high standards.”

The incident comes at a difficult time for the Met, which has been blighted by a string of crimes and misconduct carried out by its officers.

In 2021, the force was rocked by the high-profile murder of 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens.

In January this year, officer David Carrick admitted a horrific campaign of rape and abuse of women spanning his policing career, plunging the Met into fresh crisis as it emerged a string of opportunities to reveal his true character were missed.

Following Carrick’s case, new Met Police commissioner Mark Rowley announced a ”turnaround plan” that aimed to see rogue officers rooted out.

In January, he appealed to the people of London not to lose heart over “painful” and “ghastly” new crimes by Met officers that will be uncovered as he tries to clean up his force, warning two or three officers per week were expected to appear in court on criminal charges in coming weeks and months.

He said cases included “violence against women and girls offences”, such as domestic abuse and sex offences.