Policeman denies cell assault

A POLICE constable who has been accused of beating a prisoner and fabricating evidence to cover up an alleged miscarriage of justice yesterday told the Court of Appeal he could not remember anything about the incident, writes Rachel Borrill.

PC Paul Giles, from Hammersmith police station, told the court that he arrested Patrick Quinn for drunkenness on 23 December 1990. But he denied assaulting Mr Quinn, who was found battered to death in his cell several hours later. 'I certainly have nothing to do with this murder,' he said.

Mr Giles was giving evidence on the second day of an appeal by Malcolm Kennedy, who was convicted of murdering Mr Quinn while sharing his cell. At his Old Bailey trial in September 1991, Kennedy claimed it was the police who battered Mr Quinn to death.

Michael Mansfield QC, for Kennedy, suggested that Mr Giles was lying when he said he had arrested Mr Quinn between 11pm and midnight on 23 December 1990. Two new witnesses and documents showed that at that time he was attending a victim of an alleged domestic assault.

Mr Giles admitted that one of his notebooks relating to the incident was missing but denied that he was covering up for the officers who arrested Mr Quinn. 'I was a mere probation officer at the time, I made lots of mistakes, that was part of learning my job.'

Under cross-examination, Mr Giles admitted that he had assaulted two women, one before and one after Kennedy's trial.

The appeal continues today.