Noel Fielding testifies in police assault case

British actor/comedian Noel Fielding took the stand at a court in London on Tuesday (21Oct14) to testify as part of a police assault case. Fielding, who starred in U.K. sitcom The IT Crowd opposite Chris O’Dowd, testified during a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice as part of his friend Jimmy Browne’s civil complaint against London’s Metropolitan Police force in which Browne claims to have been assaulted by officers in 2010.
The pair was stopped and searched for drugs on their way to a party in Kentish Town, north London, but they were later released without charge. Browne claims he was assaulted by the officers and sustained a broken leg in the incident.
Fielding took the stand and recounted the night’s events, admitting he did not see any violent behaviour by the officers because he was handcuffed and lying on the ground, but added, “I could hear stuff. I couldn’t really see, but I could definitely tell there was a struggle… I was in quite a lot of shock.”
The star also branded the incident “traumatic”.
Browne, who previously worked as a minder for late singer Amy Winehouse, is seeking $128,000 (£80,000).