£60,000 for robber beaten up in police cells

A convicted robber has been awarded £60,000 compensation after he claimed police officers beat him up and falsely arrested him on two occasions.

A jury rejected evidence from more than 30 police witnesses including Chief Superintendent Kevin Hurley, a former head of the Brixton robbery squad. The Met was ordered to pay £200,000 legal costs after the case at Central London County Court.

The court was told Jamie Francis, 30, was arrested in 1994 and accused of threatening four officers in Brixton. He claims that in the cells he was kicked and his head was stamped on.

Two years later he was arrested again. He claimed he was punched in the face, a sergeant hit his hands with a piece of wood and he had a heavy steel door slammed on his arm. He bled heavily but a doctor wasn't called for 10 hours, the court heard.

In 1997 Francis was sentenced to 42 months for robbery. The previous year he was sentenced to 18 months for robbery.