GLOUCESTERSHIRE police officer has been convicted of punching his niece in the face during a row at a family party.

PC Neil Lorimer, from Cheltenham, was off-duty at the time he hit Emily Robinson, leaving her with a black eye.

The incident happened at a family party at Ryton Grange Farmhouse, near Shrewsbury, on November 14, 2021.

The 49-year-old said the incident happened as he “went to grab” his nephew by marriage – a man named Scott Boseley – claiming he “raised his arm” to his wife.

Lorimer, claimed Mr Boseley, who is Ms Robinson’s brother, had also “upset” his wife, Natasha, with “repeated comments” and remarks throughout the night, and that he only went to intervene as the two were “carrying on arguing”.

Lorimer, who is suspended from his work in Gloucestershire police's crime management unit, was charged in May last year.

Shawn Williams, prosecuting, said police were called by Ms Robinson in a “distressed state” to her grandparents’ anniversary celebrations where she reported “she had been assaulted by her uncle”, telling them “he’s a police officer”.

Mr Williams told Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on yesterday (January 19) that the event was “by and large a very good-natured event”. 

The group had been drinking, with Lorimer having had two cans cider, two glasses of wine, some prosecco and whiskey, but said he was not drunk.

Ms Robinson, giving evidence, said it had been “a really nice night” but described how the atmosphere changed amid remarks about Mr Lorimer’s wife Natasha, who is Ms Robinson’s aunt.

She added: “I was sat at the table with my mum, brother, nan and grandad, Neil (Lorimer) and (aunt) Tasha, all in the kitchen and we were all having a laugh and a joke.

“The next minute, Neil is stood up and lunged towards my brother, shouting and going crazy.”

“Neil said ‘what the f*** have you just said about my wife, Tasha’ – after which he got in my brother’s face.”

Describing the moment she was struck, Ms Robinson told the court she had scooped up a young child “to get them out of the crossfire”, and urged her brother towards the house’s front door.

She said: “That’s when I was met with a punch in the face.”

Lorimer denied assault on the basis he was moving to defend his wife from what he claimed was Mr Boseley raising his arm, fearing his wife would be struck.

He said: “I couldn’t hear what he was saying but could see hand gestures coming from him and my wife – it doesn’t happen very often, only when she gets upset.”

“I went to grab his arm before any punch could be thrown."

“All of a sudden, from my right, I saw this shadow, Emily, coming from my right. I didn’t have time to pull my arm back.”

Mr Boseley, who Lorimer described as being “lairy” before the incident, gave evidence to say he had been engaged in “aunty-and-nephew banter” but denied saying anything or raising his arm towards Mrs Lorimer, to justify triggering an attack.

Lorimer was found guilty of the assault by District Judge Ian Strongman. 

He was ordered to do 150 hours’ unpaid work, pay £800 compensation and £850 costs, and a £95 victim surcharge.

He said outside court he is intending to appeal against his conviction.