The following extract is from a statement made by a sixty five year old pensioner who witnessed the police in Oldham attack a defenceless 21 year old EDL supporter in September 2010.
"The male being detained was face down on the floor and the two police officers were either side of him, each holding an arm behind his back, they both had a knee in his back so he could not move. I then saw another officer approach the male being detained on the floor. he got hold of the man`s clothing behind his clothing and lifted his head up off the floor I noticed he had a police baton in his right arm, I then saw him raise his right hand as far back as he could and strike the male on top of his head with the baton as hard as he possibly could. As soon as he hit his head it started bleeding and the was blood all over the place it made me feel physically sick and I started to shake, and I really thought that the male was seriously hurt and that the officer who had hit him was seriously out of order. The officer that struck him had short dark hair with sideburns and was quite tanned and was in his thirties.
Just as this happened another officer walked past our car and I said through an open "are you going to sort this" the officer then told me to shut up and carried on walking, as we drove past the three officers I shouted out of the window "you`re fucking out of order" I still feel angry about what happened and I feel let down by the police who I thought were there to protect us.
The officer who committed the violent unprovoked attack on the EDL supporter was PC Carmody 19174 from the Greater Manchester Police Tactical Aid Unit.
The victim received six stitches to his head, (the wound was very similiar to one in the top photograph) the police then had the cheek to charge him with violent disorder, which was later dropped.
