Teenager Wins Two-Year Battle To Prove He Didn't Start Fight

Teenager Wins Two-Year Battle To Prove He Didn't Start Fight

When he was 16 years old, Jonathan Fromings was beaten up by another boy. He suffered a broken eye socket and bruising.

But soon afterwards, Jonathan found out that the Metropolitan Police had records which accused him of starting the fight, as well as false information about his injuries and CCTV footage.

So, determined to put the record straight, Jonathan, with his dad Nicholas, 50, launched a civil action against Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe when the Met refused to correct the details, arguing it was exempt from data protection rules.

Two years on and the father and son have won their battle to force Scotland Yard to correct false information held about Jonathan in police records.

The error came to light when Jonathan paid a £10 fee to the Met to receive a copy of what was written about him.

The force first said he could not have the information, and handed it over only when the civil action was launched six months later.

The family found 'numerous errors' in the police report. District judge Sir Nicholas Greenfield has now ruled at Dartford county court that police statements were not exempt from the law and described the Met's report of Jonathan's case as 'wholly inaccurate'.

He concluded: "The police failed to properly consider the accurate information that was available, the CCTV footage, the teacher's report and the medical report."

Jonathan, now 17, from Crayford, Kent, needed three operations on his eye socket after the attack and still has limited vision in one eye.

He said: "I did not want to have a bad record of me on the police file. I was also worried about the effect on my future career. After I was beaten up and in hospital this was the last thing I wanted.

"As a victim you should feel safe with the police and for them to then say bad things about me was not great."

His claim for criminal injuries compensation was rejected because of the false information but he was later awarded £5,720. One police officer was found guilty of misconduct over the initial investigation.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said : "A line has been added to the crime report clarifying the victim's position."

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