WATCH | Former Police Officer Cleared in Just 20 Minutes After Facing Two-Year Ordeal

Jury's Swift 'Not Guilty' Verdict Exposes Absurdity of Case Against Dedicated Police Officer Who Stopped Career Criminals

Two years. Two years of waiting. Two years of stress. Two years of wondering how we’ve reached a point where a dedicated police officer, doing his job, can be dragged through the courts for trying to stop criminals in their tracks (scroll down for the video). This isn’t just an isolated case; it’s symptomatic of a justice system that increasingly seems to prioritise the rights of criminals over the safety of the public.

Tim Bradshaw, a retired police officer, was cleared of any wrongdoing in just 20 minutes by a jury—20 minutes. That tells you everything you need to know about how much of a non-case this was. Yet it still took over two years of his life to fight these ridiculous charges. Why? Because the establishment would rather scrutinise officers for doing their jobs than actually hold criminals accountable. This isn’t justice; this is a disgrace.

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Let’s be clear: The two men on that e-bike were not innocent bystanders. They weren’t out for a joyride, victims of some overzealous policing. One of them, Mason McGarry, had over 40 convictions. Yes, you read that right—more than 40 convictions, including robbery, theft, and dangerous driving. The other, Dominic Mizzi, had a string of convictions himself, including for assaulting emergency workers.

These men have a proven track record of breaking the law, endangering the public, and in Mizzi’s case, physically attacking the very people who put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe. And yet, somehow, the focus was on whether a police officer was a little too forceful in stopping them? Are we serious?

Mr. Bradshaw did what he was trained and authorised to do—he made a quick decision to use "tactical contact" to stop a dangerous situation from escalating. And it worked. The criminals were stopped. There wasn’t even a mark on his police car. Yet, instead of commending him for his actions, he was put on trial as if he were the criminal. This should have been a case study in effective policing. Instead, it became a warning to every other officer out there: Do your job, and you might find yourself in court after years of stress, anxiety and worry.

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Thankfully, the jury had common sense, even if the people who charged him did not. The verdict was swift and clear: Not guilty. And let’s not forget the powerful words from Surrey Police Federation’s Andy Newman, who pointed out that police officers “only have seconds to make decisions to uphold the law.” Exactly. Officers like Tim Bradshaw are out there every day, putting their lives on the line to protect the public, while criminals like McGarry and Mizzi seem to operate with near impunity.

The fact that it took just 20 minutes to reach a verdict shows the massive disconnect between what the justice system seems to think officers should do and what the public actually expects them to do—protect us from criminals.

Speaking outside court, the Federation’s Andy Newman stated:

“Today a jury has taken 20 minutes to come to a not guilty verdict and clear the name of retired PC Tim Bradshaw. This case demonstrates that police officers only have seconds to make decisions to uphold the law. Tim hopes that, moving forward, police organisations will show the courage and confidence that this jury has shown in supporting and protecting communities.

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Police officers like Tim are out protecting communities 365 days a year making sure that you are safe. Tim would like to thank his legal team, Counsel Mark Aldred and MJR solicitors, as well as Sussex Police Federation. He has also thanked his family for supporting him through the two years and three months it has taken to come to court.”

But here’s the real question we should all be asking: How did we get here? How did we reach a stage where criminals feel emboldened to commit crime after crime, while police officers face prosecution for doing their jobs? Is it any wonder that so many officers are leaving the force and that so few people want to join? Is it surprising that the public feels less safe, that crime—especially violent crime—feels out of control? If officers hesitate for even a second, it could mean the difference between life and death, yet cases like this create an environment where hesitation is the norm, not the exception. And who wins? The criminals, of course.

This case should never have gone to trial. It should have been thrown out long before it reached the courtroom. But instead, an officer was made to endure more than two years of legal battles, stress, and uncertainty, all because he dared to do what the public expects of him—stop criminals in their tracks. The justice system owes Tim Bradshaw an apology, but more importantly, it owes a commitment to preventing this nonsense from happening again. Otherwise, we will continue down a dangerous road where officers are too afraid to act, and lawlessness becomes the new normal.

We have already seen cases where police officers seem to afraid to go ‘hands on’ with a violent suspect who was attacking their colleagues.

This might seem like a victory for common sense—and in some ways, it was. A dedicated police officer was rightfully found not guilty. But let’s be honest: what officer in their right mind would willingly put their career, reputation, and personal life on hold for over two years just for doing their job? The chilling effect on frontline policing is undeniable. And who benefits from this madness? The criminals, of course. If we allow this to continue, it won’t be long before we see more and more officers choosing to walk away from the job entirely. And when that happens, who will be left to keep the public safe?

It’s time for a serious reality check. If we continue down this path, we’ll soon find ourselves in a country where criminals have all the power, and the police are too scared to act. And when that happens, don’t ask why the streets aren’t safe—ask why we let it get this far. The public needs to wake up, and the justice system needs to get its priorities straight. Officers like Tim Bradshaw should be supported, not vilified. If we don’t take a stand now, we’ll all be paying the price sooner rather than later.

Opinion: A Gross Injustice Corrected - But at What Cost?

In a case that should have never seen the light of a courtroom, retired police officer Tim Bradshaw was vindicated within a mere 20 minutes by a jury who saw through the absurdity of the charges against him. This swift 'Not Guilty' verdict stands as a stark rebuke to a broken system that has lost its way, one that would rather put a dedicated officer through two years of hell than deal decisively with actual criminals. Criminals who end up face the consequences of their own decisions.