Calum Brand
Introduction
Calum Brand is a former West Midlands Police constable who was convicted of assault by beating after body-worn video showed him grabbing a woman by the hair, pinning her down by the neck and elbowing her in the side of the head during a domestic-arrest call-out in Halesowen in June 2025. Brand, who was 27 at the time of the sentencing, had denied one count of assault by beating but was found guilty at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 15 July 2026 and sentenced on 7 September to a 12-month community order including 150 hours of unpaid work. A misconduct hearing held by the force two days after his sentence found gross misconduct proven; because Brand had already resigned, he could only be told he would have been dismissed without notice, and he was placed on the barred list, which prevents him from working in policing in the future.
Background Information
The incident happened on 16 June 2025, when Brand was one of four officers called to flats in Halesowen, Dudley, following reports of a domestic disturbance. Checks on a man at the address revealed he was wanted on a warrant for failing to attend court, and he was restrained and escorted from the flat into a communal stairwell. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation after receiving a mandatory conduct referral from West Midlands Police on 4 July 2025, examining body-worn video, taking statements from officers, interviewing Brand and reviewing the force’s training, policies and guidance.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Criminal conviction, not an allegation. Brand was found guilty of assault by beating at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court after a trial. The details below are drawn from the IOPC’s public statement on its investigation and the court outcome, with the gross misconduct finding recorded by the force’s own hearing.
According to the IOPC, police body-worn video showed the woman approaching Brand from behind before he grabbed her by the hair, pinned her down by the neck and elbowed her to the side of the head. She suffered facial injuries but was not seriously hurt. In interview, Brand said the woman had hit his back and that, fearing she may have a weapon, he used what he believed was appropriate and proportionate force; he arrested her on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, though she was later released without charge. The IOPC passed a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service in November 2025, which authorised a charge of assault by beating.
Brand denied the charge but was convicted at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 15 July 2026. At the same court on 7 September he received a 12-month community order with requirements to complete 150 hours of unpaid work. IOPC Director of Engagement Derrick Campbell said the man at the address was “clearly drunk, largely incoherent”, that Brand’s response to the woman’s intervention was “disproportionate and unnecessary”, and that “there was no justification for the level of force he used and no attempt to de-escalate the situation”, noting she “did not pose a genuine threat” and had shown no aggression towards the officers.
Public Reaction and Consequences
Campbell’s statement was pointed about the breach of the officer’s role: “The woman suffered facial injuries at the hands of an officer who should have been there to help protect and safeguard her.” The IOPC said its investigation concluded Brand had a case to answer for gross misconduct.
On 2 September 2026, a misconduct hearing held by West Midlands Police found gross misconduct proven on the basis that Brand breached the professional standard of discreditable conduct through his conviction for a criminal offence. The force said he would have been dismissed without notice had he not already resigned, and he was placed on the barred list, preventing him from working in policing in the future.
Current Status
Brand is no longer a police officer, having resigned before the disciplinary hearing, and his name is on the College of Policing barred list. His conviction and 12-month community order stand following the September 2026 sentencing. The IOPC’s published account of the investigation, including the body-worn video findings and its director’s assessment that the force used was disproportionate, unnecessary and without any attempt at de-escalation, remains the authoritative public record of the incident.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The barred-list placement ends any prospect of Brand serving in UK policing again, and the assault conviction is a spent only in the long term — until then it must be disclosed where required. A case that began with a routine domestic-arrest call-out ended with a criminal record, a public IOPC statement, and a gross misconduct finding that would have cost him his job had he not already left the force.