Sacked Humberside Police sergeant John 'Mick' Stevenson 'hung, drawn and quartered'
| Posted: November 21, 2015
'DECENT COPPER': John "Mick" Stevenson.
A POLICE sergeant sacked after being caught on CCTV kicking a 16-year-old boy at Hull Fair has been "hung, drawn and quartered", it has been claimed.
John "Mick" Stevenson, who chalked-up 27 years in the force, was found guilty of gross misconduct and dismissed during a disciplinary hearing on Thursday.
He has not been convicted of any offence.
Last night, it emerged a statement briefly appeared on Humberside Police's website on November 5 – two weeks before the hearing – stating Mr Stevenson "deliberately made contact with his foot in a kicking type motion, which was in the presence of a number of members of the public".
Last night, a friend of Mr Stevenson told the Mail: "Mick has been victimised. To me, this looks like Mick was hung, drawn and quartered even before he went into that disciplinary hearing."
Following a complaint from Mr Stevenson, the statement on the police website was amended to read that the forthcoming hearing was "in relation to an arrest of a juvenile and the alleged conduct of the officer concerned during the course of his dealings with the juvenile".
Colleagues and friends of Mr Stevenson believe the original statement indicates the fate of the respected sergeant had already been decided.
And they have linked the case to his involvement with the downfall of disgraced former senior policeman Colin Andrews.
It is believed Mr Stevenson is to appeal against his dismissal.
Mr Stevenson arrested Mr Andrews, his own boss, who was later found guilty of witness intimidation, aggravated stalking, harassment and assault following a six-week trial at Manchester Crown Court earlier this year.
Andrews was jailed for 12 months in March.
Last night, a friend of Mr Stevenson told the Mail: "Mick has been victimised.
"To me, this looks like Mick was hung, drawn and quartered even before he went into that disciplinary hearing."
The Mail received numerous calls from Mr Stevenson's former colleagues yesterday.
One serving female officer said: "Officers believe he has been strung up.
"I am a very good friend of the family. I think it is just disgusting what has happened to him. He is a family man.
"He was a decent copper and a role model to a lot of officers. A lot of police officers want to do something about it."
The officer said she believes Mr Stevenson has been made a "scapegoat" following the downfall of Andrews who was given a 12-month prison sentence following a trial in Manchester.
During the hearing at Priory Road police station, west Hull, Mr Stevenson was accused of discrediting and undermining the "aims and ambitions" of Humberside Police.
CCTV footage, which was filmed 150 yards from Hull Fair's entrance on October 10, showed Mr Stevenson and three other officers pinning a 16-year-old north Hull boy to the ground after a chase on foot.
After placing the teenager's arms behind his back and handcuffing him, Mr Stevenson appeared to stand up, kick the boy in the head and walk away while the other officers were looking at a group of people they suspected were the teenager's friends.
Mr Stevenson claimed he had not realised he had struck the youth until he was shown the footage four months later, and had only reached out with his leg after losing his balance.
Paul Yeomans, of the Humberside Police Federation, said: "We are representing Mr Stevenson from a welfare perspective and legally this is an ongoing matter. It would not be appropriate to make further comment at this time."
A Humberside Police spokesman said: "Both statements did appear on the Humberside Police website.
"The first statement was amended at the request of John Stevenson. However, both statements were legally correct and they made clear that the disciplinary hearing related to an alleged incident.
"John Stevenson has ten days to notify us of an appeal. If we receive an appeal it would be dealt with by the Police Appeals Tribunal, rather than Humberside Police."
Retired DCI 'put under pressure to drop inquiry'
DURING the trial of Colin Andrews, at Manchester Crown Court, retired Detective Chief Inspector Mark "Mo" Oliver, the force's head of the anti-corruption unit, who led the investigation into him, said he had been put under pressure by senior officers to drop the inquiry.
It was put to Mr Oliver that some officers questioned whether the investigation was "proportional".
Mr Oliver replied: "Yes, and they were friends of Colin Andrews who, in my view, were really questioning whether the investigation should go ahead."
