I was ‘left screaming’ after being ‘assaulted’ by police officers over shoplifting arrest, says I’m A Celeb’s Boy George
BOY GEORGE has revealed how he was once savagely beaten by police officers.
The I’m A Celebrity star, 61, says he was “left screaming” after being assaulted by MET cops.
Revealing what happened after he was caught shoplifting as a teenager, the singer said in his autobiography: “I saw the police car coming down the road. I panicked and ran like hell.
“The officer caught me, I grabbed him and spun him round, pushing him to the floor, ripping the shoes and the knees of his trousers.
“I tried to run again, but was headed off by the car. Two other policemen grabbed me and threw me into the back seat. My heart was pounding.
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“The officer I sent flying jumped in and punched me in the face. I became hysterical shouting, ‘F*** off, you can’t touch me. You won’t get away with it.’”
Boy George continued, recalling the ordeal: “They were laughing. The policeman in front shouted at me. “We can take you round one of these back alleys and give you a good hiding, and no one would know anything.”
Then, at Eltham Police Station, he said things continued.
“I was punched again, strip searched and thrown into a cell. I kept screaming that I wanted to see my parents. They ignored me and left me in the cell. My eyes, nose and lips were swollen.
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“They tried to swab me with cold water, so I pushed them away. They could see how bad I looked and were worried.
“When mum and dad arrived, mum was crying: “Who hit you son, who hit you?”. I pointed at the ginger-haired copper behind the desk, and dad went for him. “You want to hit someone your own size? You f***ing coward.”
Boy George said his dad went outside and called A10, the internal investigations department at Scotland Yard. They came and took pictures of his injuries and he gave a statement.
He was charged with attempted theft, resisting arrest and assaulting an officer.
Writing in his book, Take It Like A Man, he added: “I was given a conditional discharge and advised to drop my complaint against the police. Dad and Mum were angry, but we decided it was for the best.”
