The Metropolitan Police has apologised and agreed to pay a settlement to a man who suffered a brain injury after being hit on the head by a police baton during a protest 13 years ago.
Alfie Meadows was injured during a demonstration against student tuition fees in London on 9 December 2010.
He was charged with violent disorder and faced numerous trials before being unanimously acquitted in March 2022.
In Friday’s statement, the Met said Mr Meadows was “protesting peacefully”.
It said it had apologised to him in June and settled a civil action following a claim he made in August 2020. But the force added that the officer who struck Mr Meadows has not been identified and “held to account for their actions”.
The amount of the settlement has not been disclosed but could run to six figures, according to the PA news agency.
Image source, Justice for Alfie Meadows
Alfie Meadows needed more than 100 staples in his head and was left with a large scar
“It felt like a process that was never going to end,” Mr Meadows told Channel 4 News. “It felt like I was on trial the whole time, that I was being punished for the crime of surviving this police assault.”
“I’ve just been so aware of how I’ve been treated and how the police have been failed to be held to account,” he said, adding that the incident and trials that followed had a “serious impact” on his life and mental health.
“All of the years I’ve lost fighting for truth and accountability and coming up against denial, blame and attempts to criminalise me,” he said.
On Friday, a Met police spokesman said Mr Meadows suffered “very serious injuries” during the 2010 demonstration, which coincided with a vote on the proposed tuition fees increase in Parliament.
“Although the situation in Parliament Square was chaotic and threatening, we acknowledge that Mr Meadows was protesting peacefully and the use of force against him was unjustified,” he said.
The spokesperson added that between 2010 and 2019 a number of investigations had taken place, but “none were able to identify the officer in question”.
“We sincerely regret, despite extensive CCTV and witness inquiries, the officer who struck Mr Meadows did not come forward, could not be identified and has not been held to account for their actions.
“We have apologised to Mr Meadows for this.”
He added that since 2010 the force has introduced body-worn cameras and improved self-defence training for officers in an effort to help prevent such an incident ever occurring again.
