Police officer found guilty after putting 15-year-old girl in headlock

A British Transport Police officer has been found guilty of assault after CCTV showed him putting a 15-year-old girl in a headlock during an arrest at Camden Road railway station.

PC Adrian Young, 48, restrained the teenager for around 30 seconds before dragging her through a ticket barrier and pinning her against a wall in September 2024.

The court heard that the girl complained she was struggling to breathe, accusing the officer of using a “stranglehold.” Prosecutors said the level of force used was “unnecessary and disproportionate.”

Young, a 19-year veteran of the BTP, claimed the teenagers were “hysterical” and that he only grabbed the girl’s clothing — but magistrates rejected his account.

The incident was investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The girl was arrested at the scene but later released without charge.