A serving Northumbria Police constable has been dismissed after a misconduct panel found he assaulted a motorist and used force against his wife during a road-row in Birtley, Gateshead.
Incident and evidence
The officer, PC Jonathan Pattison, was convicted of assault after an altercation following a minor collision at the junction of Durham Road and Egton Terrace on 3 June last year. The victim was driving with his eight-year-old grandson in the car at the time.
Video footage captured by a member of the public was shown to a misconduct hearing. The recording, the panel heard, showed Pattison throwing punches at the driver and pushing his wife to the face with an open palm, then moving her out of the way as she attempted to calm the situation.
What the hearing found
The misconduct tribunal considered behaviour which it said included aggressive language, physical violence and a failure to de-escalate despite the presence of a distressed child. Witnesses on the scene intervened, moving the child away and calling police.
"You can't have anything nice these days, look at the state of my car,"
The hearing also heard recordings of what the officer said during the incident. Reportedly, when his wife tried to speak to him he told her to "f* off" before attempting to assault the other driver. Members of the public heard him swearing and calling the other driver a "c*" and daring him to fight.
According to accounts presented to the panel, the driver did not retaliate and repeatedly tried to de-escalate, saying: "pack it in, the grandbairn is there"; but Pattison replied: "I'm not f*ing bothered about the grandbairn, look at the state of my f*ing car."
Officer's circumstances and sanction
The hearing noted that Pattison had been signed off work at the time with diagnoses of depression and anxiety. He had served for 24 years with Northumbria Police.
Following the misconduct proceedings, Pattison was dismissed from the force. The decision reflects the panel's findings about the seriousness of the misconduct, particularly given the involvement of a child and the officer's role as a public servant sworn to protect and de-escalate.
Local impact and community concern
The case has prompted concern among residents in Gateshead about conduct standards and accountability within the police. It also raises questions about officer welfare and the support provided to staff dealing with mental-health issues while on duty or during stress.
- Location: Birtley, Gateshead — junction of Durham Road and Egton Terrace
- Date of incident: 3 June (previous year)
- Victim: motorist with his eight-year-old grandson
- Officer: PC Jonathan Pattison, 24 years service
- Outcome: convicted of assault and sacked after misconduct hearing
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Incident date | 3 June (previous year) |
| Location | Durham Road & Egton Terrace, Birtley |
| Child present | Yes — aged 8 |
| Officer status | Dismissed |
Witnesses who stopped to help described the child's distress; three members of the public intervened and persuaded the child to step away while contacting police. The panel was told the footage formed a key part of the evidence used to reach its findings.
While the misconduct ruling brings an end to this officer's service with Northumbria Police, it also underlines two persistent issues for forces across the region: maintaining public confidence through transparent disciplinary processes, and ensuring the welfare of officers so that stress or illness does not lead to incidents harming the public they serve.
The force has previously set out procedures for dealing with misconduct and for supporting officers with health concerns, but this case will be watched locally as an example of those systems being tested in a highly visible situation.
Local residents and community groups in Gateshead are likely to seek reassurance that lessons have been learned, particularly in how incidents involving vulnerable witnesses or children are managed.
