Police officer in brawl outside bar defends actions of 'split-second'

CONSTABLE IS ACCUSED OF HEADBUTTING A MAN

- By JOEL MOORE

A POLICE officer has been accused of headbutting a man and throwing punches during a brawl at a Nottinghamshire bar.

PC David Barton got into the altercation after being sent flying over a set of chairs at Gilt bar, in Bingham, on August 18, 2023.

The experienced officer, who was with his wife while off-duty at the time, faces a misconduct hearing over the incident, as well as for allegedly making “false or misleading” reports to the police in the hours afterwards.

PC Barton denies the allegations and said his actions were the result of a “split-second decision”.

CCTV footage was played during the hearing, which began at the police headquarters in Sherwood Lodge Drive, Arnold, on Monday. It shows PC Barton sitting speaking with two men and two women at about 10.10pm, when one of the men begins to point at him aggressively.