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A Norwich woman who was wrongly arrested for protesting against animal abuse got her hands on an unbelievable confession from police officers. Gemma Barnes, 36, led a peaceful protest on January 14, 2023, against the lack of prosecution for a man who killed a pigeon. She was arrested after entering the Bethel Street Police Station to deliver a petition signed by over 50,000 people.
Besides her arrest, Barnes had her body camera confiscated by the police, who allegedly pushed her out on the street. The device, however, was never really switched off and continued to record hours-long conversations inside the station. When the police returned the camera to Barnes after eleven months, she was startled to discover the content of the footage.
Barnes has now sued the Norfolk Constabulary for wrongful arrest, malicious prosecution, assault, battery and trespass to goods.
Norwich Police Officers Allegedly Admit Racism And Transphobia
According to the recorded clipping on Barnes’s body camera, police officers openly discussed their racially biased, s—– and transphobic beliefs. A female officer reportedly admitted that she intentionally and illegally stops and searches Black women. She was heard saying “I illegally stop, search IC3 (black) females and then I arrest them.” Another police officer explicitly spoke about a transgender protester and referred to the individual as ‘the pink-haired thing, whatever that was, they/them.’
Furthermore, some male officers were heard discussing a massage parlor where one of them had visited. He claimed to receive a ‘happy ending’ after his service, adding that he would return to the place after his working hours.
Officers Mock Peaceful Protester Getting Arrested
According to Barnes, the recorded footage also included a moment when the officers reportedly watched her arrest video while mocking her protest. They also spoke about a previous protest the woman attended to save livestock, and the officers admitted that they tried to falsely pin charges on Barnes.
They were heard saying, “There were three separate Section 4A offenses under the Public Order Act where she was arrested, and then she was arrested for obstructing police. However, they wanted to try to put a CBO (Criminal Behavior Order) on her, so they looked through past body-worn footage and decided to generate a common assault six weeks after the incident and push it through, and on the back of the common assault try to stick a CBO on her.”
Animal Abuse Protester Files Lawsuit Against Norwich Police
Barnes was initially charged with public nuisance and a public order offense, before being acquitted.
Barnes said, “I was outraged; to say it was unprofessional is an understatement. It is a damning indictment of the environment in policing – it was appalling. I was called a waste of space, called a dirty critter and that I should have been left outside in the rain to wash. As I continued to watch the footage, I realized the magnitude of what they were saying. The transphobia, racism, brothels, picking me up with false charges.”
In the meantime, an internal investigation at the Norfolk Constabulary professional standards returned with a review of 17 of Barnes’s complaints. Authorities found no widespread evidence of discriminatory behavior after screening through the officers’ records for arrests and stop and search.
Incidentally, only three officers were flagged for receiving ‘reflective practice’ training in the wake of the accusations. Moreover, they agreed to pay the animal activist £8,750 in damages for her wrongful arrest, along with additional costs for her legal funds.
