The Northumbria Police Chief has been acquitted of assaulting his wife

49-year-old Karl Wilson of Northumbria Police was acquitted by District Judge Paul Currer of assaulting his wife Helen at the family home in Great Park, Newcastle last October, after a day-long trial at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

He had originally been charged with two charges of assault and one of damaging her dress, necklace and phone, but that was reduced to a single assault allegedly witnessed by two police officers.

READ ALSO: Northumbria Police Chief Denies Assault On His Wife

Prosecutors said that Ms Wilson appeared in court but did not want to testify and would not be forced to do so. She was also charged with throwing her to the ground and kneeling on her chest while playing rugby, as well as criminal damage charges. was rejected.

District Judge Currer exonerated the senior officer, whose salary would be between £87,000 and £91,000, according to the police website, and said he was satisfied Mr Wilson had struggled with his wife after a brief “fight” at the bottom of the stairs, his phone to grab while he was being taken away.

He said: “I don’t think he even grabbed her and for that reason this case is unproven.”

Body worn footage showed police at the home of Mr Wilson, who was barefoot and in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers hoodie, while the family dog ​​walked around.

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He told the court he was drunk and drank three tall glasses of wine but could remember what happened that night.

He said: “We had an argument over messages on that phone which was extremely embarrassing and quite upsetting for Helen which I’m certainly not proud of (so) I wanted to get my phone.”

Footage showed Mr Wilson being led to his front door, not in handcuffs, and trying to grab his phone when his wife dropped it on the stairs.

During a fight, in which Ms Wilson also tried to get to the phone, PC Craig Brown tied up the senior officer and video showed him yelling “don’t touch her” twice.

Ms Wilson was heard saying, “That’s mine, thank you,” which the district judge said was due to taking possession of her husband’s phone before taking it upstairs.

The chief inspector was then handcuffed and brought out for questioning.

PC Brown and colleague PC Nathan Collins told the court they saw Mr Wilson grab his wife’s wrist – laying the crux of the assault allegation.

But Mr Wilson told the court he had no intention of snatching her, just trying to get to his phone.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch claimed it was a “desperate” attempt to take his wife’s cell phone, but Mr Wilson disagreed.

He said: “I wanted to take possession of my phone, there was no aggression toward Helen or anyone, I just wanted to pick up my phone from the bottom of the stairs.”

Earlier, Mr Bunch detailed the case and said the domestic dispute began when Ms Wilson came home and found her husband’s phone and amid worries about his “fidelity” she saw messages which suggested that “her fears were real”.

Steven Reed, defending himself, said officers were wrong when they saw him grab her wrist, but that if he had, he was merely trying to repossess his own property.

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The court had previously heard Ms Wilson say she was attacked outside her home earlier in the night and called 999, saying “home” in a hoarse voice when asked by the call operator what was going on may be.

However, prosecutors produced no evidence to support this allegation and Mr Wilson was acquitted.

On leaving the court, Mr Wilson, who had been suspended by police, declined to comment.