A drunken off-duty police officer who attacked a woman as she walked home at night has been allowed to walk free from court, according to Mirror reports.
PC Oliver Banfield, a probationary officer with West Midlands Police, got away with a 14-week curfew in the height of lockdown after he tried to tackle a mum-of-two to the ground and put her in a headlock.
Emma Homer, 36, managed to flee from the scene as Banfield, who had been on a night out, after being branded a “f slag”.
A court heard the 25-year-old remains in his post with West Midlands Police despite admitting a charge of assault by beating.
His lawyer argued he should not have to do community service because it would be “difficult” for him to work with criminals.
Instead the officer was sentenced to a 14-week curfew, banning him from leaving his house between 7pm and 7am.
He was also ordered to pay his victim £500 compensation and court costs totalling £180.
Miss Homer said being attacked by a police officer had shaken her belief system “to the core”.
“I often ask myself if the impact of the attack would have been so severe if my assailant was not a police officer,” she said.
“During the assault as I struggled to get to safety I was sure this drunk man was fulfilling a violent cop movie fantasy.
“To be verbally abused with misogynistic slang, grabbed by the neck and forced to the floor on a dark road by a drunk man, a foot taller than me, is terrifying.
“But to then find out he was a police officer shook my belief system to its core.
“My ten-year-old son is naturally protective and spent the days after the assault asking if they have ‘caught the nasty man?’
“The effect on my children when they found out my assailant was a police officer was incredibly sad.
“It’s unfathomable to them that a person whose job is to serve and protect would attack and hurt their family.”
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