Bindmans represents Ms Nadine Buzzard-Quashie in respect of her claims against the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire. Her claims concern two separate incidents which in combination have had a devastating impact on her health, her family and her business.
Ms Quashie is a highly successful, determined, and self-motivated entrepreneur who set up a company in 2016 called ‘Kiss My Parcel’. KMP delivers personalised care packages covering a range of life events from new babies to bereavements. Ms Quashie is the sole shareholder and director of the company and through her dynamism and drive the company profits have significantly exceeded expectations due to repeat orders from large companies for corporate gifts.
On the morning of 13 March 2021, three Met Police officers attended her home and arrested her in front of her partner and children on suspicion of ‘causing malicious communications’.
Ms Quashie had in fact simply posted on Instagram some of the abusive and derogatory messages she has received from several women in order to draw public attention to their hostile communications and deter them from doing it further. Ms Quashie had reported many of these sorts of incidents to the Met police previously, but no effective action was taken. Ms Quashie committed no offence and was entitled to publicly expose the bullying she was a victim of and to defend herself from the public allegations being made against her.
Ms Quashie suffered an injury in police custody where she was interviewed and detained for approximately 17 hours.
In August 2021 Ms Quashie was distressed to discover that despite assurances that the cell CCTV did not record the toilet area, the police held intrusive graphic footage recording her using the toilet.
Soon after this discovery, Ms Quashie left London to take a break. Her family were concerned for her well being and notified the police in an effort to locate her whereabouts. Her family asked the police not to approach Ms Quashie but to let them know of her location. Northamptonshire Police located and identified Ms Quashie. When they approached her she confirmed that she was well and did not wish to engage with them. She asked, and was then advised, that she was not under arrest. She drove away but then police concealed by the side of the road threw a stinger in front of her car. She stopped and parked her car. Soon after she was wrestled to the ground, handcuffed and arrested for failing to stop. She was detained in a cell before being charged with failing to stop. She was then transferred to a local hospital. When the Northamptonshire Police returned her belongings she discovered that the distressing and intrusive Met Police cell video footage was missing.
The Crown Prosecution Service refused to charge Ms Quashie in the Metropolitan Police case, and discontinued the police charges against her in the Northamptonshire Police case with the judge ordering payment of her legal costs.
Ms Quashie suffered significant psychiatric trauma as a result of the unlawful actions of the Metropolitan and Northamptonshire police officers. Ms Quashie instructs Bindmans in respect of the losses she has suffered as a result of these actions.
Ms Quashie’s claims against each force are currently listed in the high court and are awaiting directions for trial.
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