Two police officers brawled over a spilt cup of tea after arguing about who should drive their new patrol van first, a court heard yesterday. PC Byron Emerson- Thomas, 36, wanted first go in the van because it was fitted with a radio.
But colleague PC Aled Bartlett, 34, was given the police van at the start of their night shift and the court heard PC Emerson-Thomas then angrily spilt a cup of tea over him.
A jury was told other officers watched the parade room bust-up between the two on-duty officers. Prosecutor Mark Spackman said, “The fact that this happened in a police station is somewhat surprising but, nonetheless, it was a criminal act.
“The two were in the parade room and the duty sergeant had given them their orders for the night shift. It had started in a petty dispute over who was going to drive the police van. The sergeant told PC Bartlett to take the van. But the defendant was a bit upset about it and he asked PC Bartlett if he could have it. PC Bartlett simply got up and picked up the keys from the board then sat down at a table to drink a cup of tea. He went to pick up the cup of tea and PC Emerson-Thomas pushed him in the back causing it to spill over the table and himself.”
Cardiff Crown Court heard PC Bartlett picked up a paper towel to clean up the spilt tea. But Emerson-Thomas was accused of using other towels to wipe the tea down his colleague’s arm.
Mr Spackman said, “Emerson- Thomas then shoved the paper towels into PC Bartlett’s face.
“Other officers told the pair, ‘Boys leave it there’. But Emerson-Thomas then lashed out at PC Bartlett with his fist and hit his eyebrow.
“It was a hard punch and knocked the contact lens out of his eye. There was a cut which may have been caused by the signet ring Emerson-Thomas was wearing.”
PC Bartlett was taken to hospital for eight stitches to an inch-long wound above his eye. PC Emerson-Thomas was sent home from the station and has been suspended for five months since the attack.
The court heard the punch happened in Fairwater police station, Cardiff, where the men had worked together for five months. The two had known each other for several years, had been paired to go out on duty together and there was “never any animosity”.
Mr Spackman said, “PC Emerson-Thomas says he is a practical joker and likes a laugh with colleagues. But he was annoyed enough that night to strike out in anger and with force. The fact it happened in a police parade room makes no difference from any other place of work.”
Emerson-Thomas of Cowbridge, in the Vale of Glamorgan, pleaded not guilty to wounding his colleague.
The jury was later discharged because of a problem with one juror. The case is due to restart today with a fresh jury.
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