North Wales Police PC seen punching man in video cleared of assault

A North Wales Police officer filmed punching a man repeatedly during an arrest has been cleared of assault.

A jury found PC Richard Williams, 43, not guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm and a second charge of intentional strangulation following a seven-day trial in Caernarfon.

The officer faced the allegations following an incident in May 2023 when he was called to a report of a domestic incident in Porthmadog, Gwynedd.

Mr Williams insisted the force used was necessary, telling the court how the suspect had resisted arrest and had already knocked a female colleague to the ground.

Mr Williams said he did not want to hurt Steven Clark, who was 34 at the time.

He told a jury during his defence that the nine punches to Mr Clark’s head were “distraction blows” when they were both lying on the ground and he could not reach his taser or baton.

He told the court: “I had my hands around him, which naturally led to a headlock, but he continued to resist – he was pulling away from me.

“I was concerned for my safety and my colleague’s safety.”

The whole incident was captured on a mobile phone by a neighbour overlooking the garden on the Pensyflog estate in Porthmadog. The clip then went viral on social media.

It led to an investigation by the police watchdog body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct and a decision to charge the officer.

Mr Williams was suspended by the force pending the outcome of the trial.