THREE officers at the centre of an investigation into a "brutal" arrest should face a misconduct hearing, an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) report reveals.

In 2013, CCTV footage of the dramatic arrest of a couple on Stockton High Street was uploaded to social media and viewed almost 30,000 times.

The incident allegedly left music fan Darran Dunford unconscious and urinating blood for a week while his former partner, Leigh Leach, was left traumatised by her rough treatment at the hands of officers.

While Cleveland Police insisted its officers acted in accordance with protocol during the arrest, the couple involved have now had their complaints upheld by the IPCC.

The report says there is a case for disciplinary proceedings against the three officers involved and recommends they face a misconduct hearing over the arrest.

It comes despite an initial investigation suggesting Cleveland Police had no case to answer over the incident in August, 2013 - a decision Mr Dunford appealed.



The incident, captured on CCTV, shows one officer attending to the injured policeman while other officers restrain Mr Dunford and one repeatedly knees him in the back

The 45-year-old contractor from Thornaby, told The Northern Echo last night: “I tried to shrug it off but it really affects me – if I see a police van I think something’s going to happen and Leigh was a nervous wreck afterwards.

“It’s destroyed my life as it was and the whole violent affair has changed me hugely.”

He said the incident had placed a great strain on his relationship with Ms Leach and that the couple have since split.

Mr Dunsford called for the officers responsible to be removed from the force, adding: "The police are not judges or punishers, that’s what the courts do and the police can’t go around acting like this."

Cleveland Police have already responded to the latest report - which will now be considered by the IPCC before a final decision is made.

The couple had been making their way home from a folk festival in Stockton when Mr Dunford was stopped by officers responding to reports of a man being drunk and disorderly in a nearby pub.

He was arrested after swearing and claims there was an accidental “clash of heads” as they tried to place him in a police car.

However, Cleveland Police said Mr Dunford headbutted the officers, sparking an arrest which Ms Leach went on to describe as “brutal” and “thuggish”.

The footage shows several officers pinning Mr Dunford to the road before PC Darren Keeley presses his head to the ground – a manoeuvre he says which left him unconscious.

PC Michael Wilson is captured repeatedly kneeing him in the back before delivering a series of blows to his upper body.

In a police statement obtained by The Northern Echo, PC Wilson also admitted to punching Mr Dunford in the face.

He said: “...to distract him from his attempts to bite and resist I have punched Dunford with my right fist clenched, in the left side of his face.

“I used nine knee strikes during the struggle, which lasted a considerable amount of time.”

When the matter was first reported in December 2013, Cleveland Police said the tactics were approved and necessary as Mr Dunford was resisting arrest.

However, the IPCC report said: “From the CCTV footage it does appear that Mr Dunford is at stages non-compliant with the police.

“However, it appears that PC Wilson continues to deliver knee strikes to Mr Dunford’s back even when he has stopped resisting and is laying still.

“Also, PC Keeley states that he delivered punches to Mr Dunford to stop him from scratching him, however, PC Keeley appears to have moved his leg out of the reach of Mr Dunford when he delivers the strikes.

“In my view, a disciplinary tribunal could take the view that PC Wilson and PC Keeley both have used excessive force and have a case to answer for gross misconduct.”

The report also recommends a misconduct hearing for a third officer, PC Gareth Humphrey, in relation to the arrest of Leigh Leach.

Footage shows her being approached by PC Humphrey before being forcibly taken to the ground and arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

In an earlier interview, Ms Leach said: "The level of aggression was awful. When they arrested me, my dress was pulled up showing my underwear. I asked them to pull it down but even the WPC refused to touch me.

"It was humiliating and degrading, I'm a size 8, 45-year-old mother and was no threat."

PC Humphrey initially said Ms Leach was abusive but, following a court hearing, charges against her were dropped when the Crown Prosecution Service found the CCTV footage contradicted the PC’s evidence.

Following the incident, Mr Dunford pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting a police officer and one charge of possessing cannabis.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: “No determination has been made yet and the matter is currently still with the IPCC Commissioner.

“Only when this is complete will we consider what – if any – action needs to be taken by the force.”