The tendency often is that some police officers think they are above the law, but as a reminder that the laws of the land are no respecter of persons, a Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer who took the law into his hands on November 6, 2009 has been sentenced to 18 months after being found guilty of actual bodily harm last Thursday, 1 September, 2011 at Southwark Crown Court in London. Despite the fact that Police Constable Edward Prince, 31, based on Croydon borough, had pleaded not guilty to causing actual bodily harm but was convicted following his trial.

Vigilance learnt that the case follows complaints made regarding excessive force used by Prince during the arrest of a man in his 20s on Friday, 6 November 2009 in Brighton Road, Croydon.

Officers from the MPS Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) investigated after receiving a complaint by a member of the public and a report of wrong doing made by another police officer, regarding Prince using excessive force.

It was alleged Prince assaulted the man, who was on recall to prison, causing him to sustain injuries which required four stitches.

The MPS immediately informed the Independent Police Complaints Commission who supervised the investigation by officers from the DPS and PC Prince was placed on restricted duties while the investigation took place.

Commander Peter Spindler, the MPS Director of Professional Standards, said: “All Met employees are expected to behave professionally, ethically and with the utmost integrity at all times. Any instance where the conduct of our staff is alleged to have fallen below the standards of behaviour expected is treated extremely seriously by the MPS and will be robustly investigated. Today's sentence sends a clear message that this kind of behaviour by a public servant is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in British society".