West Midlands Police Fined after Firearms Officers Loses a Finger

West Midlands Police have been fined £50,000 after a firearms officer lost the end of his finger in an industrial machine.

A firearms officer for West Midlands Police lost the end of his trigger finger after chopping it off destroying a seized sub-machine gun with a hydraulic shear machine. He sustained the "career-threatening injury" whilst serving with the counter terrorism unit in July 2014, after the loss of the machine's operating manual and safety tongs.

Speaking at Birmingham Crown Court, Judge Richard Bond said:

"I am told that West Midlands Police is under enormous financial pressure and a large fine might result in the loss of vital services used by West Midlands Police to protect the public from a multitude of criminal offences.

"Public money will simply move from one public body to another. It has been a difficult balancing process and I have substantially reduced the fine."

Judge Bond reduced the fine by a third from £75,000 to £50,000, with costs of £11,558.

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