Five Met officers in court charged with GBH on a man at north London hospital

Five Met Police officers are due to appear in court charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm, following our investigation.

PC Anthony Bhar, 31, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 5 August and PCs Elena Cebotari, 35, David Hollands, 25, Dan Penfold, 33, and Robert Wall, 26, will appear at the same court on 15 August charged with two counts each of GBH, contrary to Section 18 and 20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

The officers are all attached to the force’s Central North Command.

The charges relate to an incident on 3 April 2023 where a man, now aged 57, was restrained by officers at a north London hospital and fell unconscious.

He was given emergency first aid by medical staff and then placed in a medically-induced coma. He was released from hospital six weeks later.

Our investigation began after the Met made a mandatory referral on the day of the incident. In June 2024, we sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charges.

Following the referral, we received requests from the CPS for further material to assist with its decision-making.