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27.11.14

Plebgate: Judge finds Andrew Mitchell MP called police officers "plebs"

Mr Justice Mitting has ruled that, on the balance of probabilities, the former government chief whip said the following words to PC Rowland: “best you learn your f***ing place…you don’t run this f***ing government … you’re f***ing plebs”.  

The decision was made following a seven-day hearing in the High Court in the trial of a preliminary issue in two libel matters: Mr Mitchell's claim against News Group (the publishers of the Sun) and PC Rowland's claim against Mr Mitchell.  Mr Mitchell had sued The Sun for accusing him of saying the words to Mr Mitchell and Mr Rowland had sued Mr Mitchell for suggesting he had fabricated the allegations.  The words were spoken during an exchange at the entrance of Downing Street in September 2012 when police officers refused to open the main gates for Mr Mitchell to exit on his bicycle.

Mr Justice Mitting held that Mr Mitchell had lost his temper and that his insistence on being let of the main gates was 'childish'.  He founds Mr Mitchell's accounts to be inconsistent with CCTV footage and preferred the evidence of PC Rowland and two other police officers who were present.

A full copy of the ruling can be found here.


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