September 18, 2026 - 191 views
A North Wales Police officer has been cleared of eight allegations of gross misconduct arising from the arrest of a man in Porthmadog in 2023.
PC Richard Williams was investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct after a complaint was made about the use of force during the arrest on 10 May 2023.
The IOPC investigation led to PC Williams being charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and non-fatal strangulation. He was found not guilty of both offences following a seven-day trial at Caernarfon Crown Court in May 2025.
The criminal case centred on the arrest of Steven Clark at a property in Porthmadog. Evidence presented at the trial included footage of the incident, which showed PC Williams holding Mr Clark around the neck while striking him repeatedly to the head. The prosecution alleged that the force used was excessive.
PC Williams told the court that Mr Clark had resisted arrest and had knocked a female officer to the ground. He said he used what he described as “distraction blows” because he was concerned about the safety of himself and his colleague and could not reach other equipment. The jury acquitted him of both criminal charges.
The matter was then considered separately under the police misconduct process.
Following the conclusion of the criminal case, the IOPC directed North Wales Police to hold a misconduct hearing. PC Williams faced eight allegations of gross misconduct relating to the use of force during the arrest.
The allegations included claims that he used an unnecessary, disproportionate and unreasonable headlock or hold around Mr Clark's neck, struck him nine times to the head, used incapacitant spray unreasonably and threw or dropped him into the back of a police van. The allegations also concerned whether the force breached professional standards relating to use of force, authority, respect and courtesy, and discreditable conduct.
PC Williams denied the allegations and told the misconduct hearing that he had been dealing with a difficult and rapidly developing situation. He said Mr Clark was resisting arrest and that his actions were intended to gain control rather than punish him.
The misconduct panel has now found that the allegations against PC Williams were not proven.
That finding is separate from the 2025 criminal trial, where a jury found him not guilty. A criminal prosecution and a police misconduct hearing are different processes, with different legal tests and purposes.
Deputy Chief Constable Nigel Harrison said the criminal investigation and misconduct process had now concluded and that PC Williams had been cleared by both the Crown Court and the misconduct panel.
He said the officer would return to full duties, adding that police officers face violence and danger in the course of their work and that, while public scrutiny is appropriate, there should also be recognition of the challenges officers face when keeping people safe.
The case began with a complaint in May 2023 and has involved an IOPC investigation, a Crown Court trial and a subsequent misconduct hearing. North Wales Police says the matter is now at an end.
