Nottinghamshire Pc denies strangling teenage girl in back of police car

A police officer has denied strangling a teenage girl, 16, in the back of a police car while she was being detained.

Pc Kevin Markowski, a serving officer with Nottinghamshire Police, appeared at Lincoln Magistrates' Court on Thursday charged with assault by beating and non-fatal intentional strangulation of a child.

The incident happened on 24 August last year on Front Street, Arnold, near Nottingham.

Markowski, 46, pleaded not guilty to the non-fatal strangulation charge and was not asked to enter a plea in relation to the alleged assault.

Michael Page, chair of the bench, said: "The bench, after consideration, is mindful that this is suitable to be heard in this court, but we would remind the defendant that a court may want to send this up to Crown Court for sentence."

After being offered the choice of having his case heard in a Crown Court or by magistrates, Markowski said: "I would like to elect for it to be at the Crown Court, please."

Markowski, of Spindle View, Calverton, Nottingham, will appear at Lincoln Crown Court on April 27.

Granting him unconditional bail, Mr Page said: "You have heard what has been said and you have a date for the Crown Court on April 27.

"You are going to be released from here now on unconditional bail.

"The situation is that as long as you turn up on April 27, you will be fine, but failure to do so on April 27 would find you in very serious trouble."

The Independent Office for Police Conduct had previously said the incident was referred by the force to the watchdog in October, after the girl was detained in the back of a police car.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesman said: "Following an independent investigation after a voluntary referral to the IOPC, one of our officers has been charged with criminal offences and has been suspended pending the court case."