PC who held suspect in headlock and punched him 'did nothing wrong', he tells hearing

A police officer who repeatedly punched a man he was arresting has told a misconduct hearing he "did nothing wrong".

PC Richard Williams denies eight allegations of using unreasonable force during the incident in May 2023.

He was one of two North Wales police officers sent to a housing estate in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, following a report of a domestic argument.

The misconduct hearing follows a seven-day trial at Caernarfon Crown Court in 2025, where he was cleared of assault and intentional strangulation.

Bodycam footage and video filmed by neighbours showed Williams grappling with Steven Clark in the front garden of a house during the arrest.

It ended with Williams on top of the man, holding him in a headlock, and he is then captured punching him nine times to the head.

The officer said they had been told Clark was "off his head" on cannabis and amphetamines, and had a history of making threats, including with a knife.

Showed the footage on the third day of the hearing in Colwyn Bay, Williams said Clark, who was 34 at the time, was resisting arrest and had "rugby tackled" fellow officer PC Einir Williams to the ground.

"He is resisting arrest. I needed to get him to the ground to gain some control," Williams told the hearing as he spoke in his defence.

"It was the headlock that allowed me to get him to the ground."

He told the panel that Clark continued to resist, and he was concerned he may slip out of the headlock.

He said his position meant he was unable to reach his Taser or incapacitating spray.

"I thought my best option would be distraction strikes," he said.

He told the hearing he was using his left hand, and felt he did not have much leverage or power behind the strikes because of his position.

"My intent was to distract Steven Clark to move to a ground pin," said Williams.

"I didn't want to use one punch, as it would give him time to react."

The officer said he felt Clark stop physically resisting following the punches.

He denied his response had been excessive or a punishment for Clark resisting.

After viewing the video footage, he was asked whether he felt he should have acted differently.

"I was doing the best I could in a difficult situation," he said.

"I do not feel that I did anything wrong."

In addition to allegations involving the punches, the officer faces misconduct charges over the use of a headlock, unreasonable use of incapacitant spray and throwing or dropping Clark into the back of a police van.

The hearing continues.