In April 2021 Duane Binns was detained for a search by a Metropolitan Police officer who said he could smell cannabis. Matters escalated to the use of handcuffs, the deployment of a Taser, an arrest and a lengthy detention, during which Mr. Binns was strip searched and had his home searched.
A jury at Central London County Court has this week found that the arresting officer lied about being able to smell cannabis in order to initiate the search, that he did not honestly believe in the grounds he gave for arresting Mr. Binns, that he misrepresented the basis for the arrest to custody staff, that the force used on him – including the strip search – amounted to assault, and that the search of his home was unlawful.
They also found that Mr. Binns had proven that – at every step of his interaction with them – he had been discriminated against by police on the basis of his race. They awarded significant damages including the maximum amount in exemplary (punitive) damages.
Read Garden Court Chamber’s press release here.
Mr. Binns is represented by Carolynn Gallwey and Emily Hobhouse at Bhatt Murphy, instructing Stephen Simblet KC at Garden Court Chambers.
