Man tampered with video footage following assault report

A man has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice after it was found he had tampered with video footage in relation to a report of an assault.

David Graham, 35, had reported an allegation of assault to police stating that on 5 March 2016, he’d been approached by two men in a field near Shackerstone Lane, Newton Burgoland, Leicestershire, who assaulted him after demanding he left the area.

Graham captured the incident on a bodyworn camera which he gave to officers three days later (8 March) and he produced further footage, as evidence to the assault, later the same month.

However, when officers viewed the footage it became evident it had been tampered with.

Graham was charged with perverting the course of justice after the films were looked at by specially trained analysts who determined they’d been doctored to present the incident in a different light.

Following a trial at Leicester Crown Court, Graham, formerly of Coventry and now of Longbridge Lane, Birmingham, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in relation to the video footage.

He was found not guilty of a separate count of perverting the course of justice in relation to the report of the assault which he had made.

He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work within the next two years.

He was also ordered to pay £1,000 costs (£50 per month) and given a seven year restraining order banning any contact with the people he had made the allegation against or from going to the area in Shackerstone Lane where the incident was reported to have happened.

Detective Constable Louise Osborne investigated the incident. She said: “Perverting the course of justice is a serious criminal offence. I hope this will serve as a deterrent to anyone intent on committing a similar offence.”