Falkirk MP Eric Joyce charged with assault, criminal damage
Falkirk MP Eric Joyce has been charged with two counts of common assault and one count of criminal damage, following an incident that took place in London during October.
The Labour politiican was arrested for the fourth time in nearly four years after an alleged confrontation took place in a convenience store on October 17 in Chalk Farm Parade, Camden, north London. At the time a 14-year-old boy was also arrested, for possession of cannabis.
At the time Joyce put the following statement on this website:
On the evening of Friday, 16th October I a detained a youth in a shop in London. Damage had been done to the store. I asked the shopkeeper to call the police, and when officers arrived they arrested the youth and informed me that drugs had been recovered from the scene.
The officers also informed me that the youth had immediately made a complaint that I had assaulted him by detaining him. I was questioned by the police and told that because of my identity the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Metropolitan Police Press Office would be informed of the incident.
I understand the Metropolitan Police has now made the matter public. I will make no further comment for now, other than to say a) that no alcohol was involved and b) I am not in the habit of summoning the police if I feel that I am in the wrong.
He is now due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on December 30.
Joyce was elected to parliament in 2000, though was suspended from the Labour Party in 2012 after he was arrested on suspicion of assault in March of that year, to which he pleaded guilty.
The following year he was arrested but not prosecuted for the same offence.
Both incidents took place in the House of Commons bar, and were related to alcohol.
Separately, he was arrested in November 2010 for failing to provide a breath test following a motoring incident in Falkirk. He pleaded guilty and was fined £400, as well as being banned for driving for a year.