Pc convicted of punching his niece in the face during row at family wedding near Shrewsbury

A police officer has been convicted of punching his niece in the face after missing his nephew with the blow during a row at a family party.

Pc Neil Lorimer, a serving officer with Gloucestershire Police, was off-duty at the time he hit Emily Robinson, leaving her with a black eye.

The incident happened at Ryton Grange Farmhouse at Ryton, near Shrewsbury, rented for the occasion of a golden wedding anniversary, on 14 November, 2021.

The 49-year-old said the incident happened as he "went to grab" his nephew by marriage – a man named Scott Boseley – claiming he “raised his arm” to his wife.

Lorimer, from Cheltenham, claimed Mr Boseley, who is Ms Robinson’s brother, had also "upset" his wife, Natasha, with "repeated comments" and remarks throughout the night, and that he only went to intervene as the two were "carrying on arguing".

Lorimer, who is suspended from his work in the force’s crime management unit, was charged in May last year.

Ms Robinson, giving at times tearful evidence, told the court the fallout from the incident had shattered the family who had "cut all ties" and "ostracised" her after her decision to report it to police.

Opening the case, Shawn Williams, prosecuting, said police were called by Ms Robinson in a "distressed state" to her grandparents’ anniversary celebrations where she reported "she had been assaulted by her uncle", telling them "he’s a police officer".

Mr Williams told Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday the event was "by and large a very good-natured event", with adults and several young children present.

"Something occurred which soured the evening," he added.

"The prosecution say the defendant became very upset with his nephew, Scott Boseley.

"It seems he went to strike him – missed – and hit Ms Robinson instead."

The group had been drinking, with Lorimer having had two cans cider, two glasses of wine, some prosecco and whiskey, but said he was not drunk.

Ms Robinson, giving evidence, said it had been "a really nice night" but described how the atmosphere changed amid remarks about Mr Lorimer’s wife Natasha, who is Ms Robinson’s aunt.

Referring to her aunt as Tasha, Ms Robinson added: "I was sat at the table with my mum, brother, nan and grandad, Neil (Lorimer) and (aunt) Tasha, all in the kitchen and we were all having a laugh and a joke.

"The next minute, Neil is stood up and lunged towards my brother, shouting and going crazy."

She added: "Neil said ‘what the f*** have you just said about my wife, Tasha’ – after which he got in my brother’s face."

"I still don’t know to this day what was being said."

Describing the moment she was struck, Ms Robinson told the court she had scooped up a young child “to get them out of the crossfire”, and urged her brother towards the house’s front door.

She said: "That’s when I was met with a punch in the face."

Lorimer denied assault on the basis he was moving to defend his wife from what he claimed was Mr Boseley raising his arm, fearing his wife would be struck.

"I couldn’t hear what he was saying but could see hand gestures coming from him and my wife – it doesn’t happen very often, only when she gets upset."

He said: "I went to grab his arm before any punch could be thrown.

"All of a sudden, from my right, I saw this shadow, Emily, coming from my right. I didn’t have time to pull my arm back."

"I don’t know if I missed (Mr Boseley) or he moved his arm," Lorimer told the court, claiming he was only aware Ms Robinson had been injured later.

Continuing her evidence, Ms Robinson said: "Neil delivered the punch. It was aimed at my brother but I was in the crossfire."

Ms Robinson said she fell back into her brother, but then ran out to her car to try and get her child inside.

Describing what other family members were doing, she said: "They were all running out afterwards and trying to take the phone to stop me ringing police.

"Because it would ruin his life and ‘it was an accident’.

"They didn’t want Neil to lose his job, being a police officer."

The mother-of-three said: "They blamed my brother – and me."

"They cut all ties", she said of the family, adding "we were ostracised".

"I have had messages saying ‘we don’t want anything to do with you’."

Mr Boseley, who Lorimer described as being “lairy” before the incident, gave evidence to say he had been engaged in “aunty-and-nephew banter” but denied saying anything or raising his arm towards Mrs Lorimer, to justify triggering an attack.

Convicting Lorimer of assault, District Judge Ian Strongman said: "He got an idea in his head that Scott Boseley had behaved improperly towards his wife, he was angry and he struck out in temper.

"The fact he was aiming at Scott and hit Emily is of no consequence, it’s a matter of transferred malice.

"There’s no defence to the charge and I find him guilty of the assault."

Lorimer was ordered to do 150 hours’ unpaid work, pay £800 compensation and £850 costs, and a £95 victim surcharge.

He said outside court he is intending to appeal against his conviction.