Richard Harris and Lorenzo Fenu
Introduction
Richard Harris and Lorenzo Fenu are two serving Sussex Police officers charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm after allegedly using unlawful force on a man who was detained under the Mental Health Act, leaving him injured while he was being held in hospital. The charges were brought following an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation begun after a mandatory referral from Sussex Police itself, and both officers are due to appear in court in November 2026.
Background Information
PC Richard Harris, 36, and PC Lorenzo Fenu, 28, are uniformed officers with Sussex Police, a force covering East and West Sussex in southern England. The alleged offence took place on April 16, 2026, when a man was detained under the Mental Health Act — the legal framework allowing the detention of people experiencing a mental health crisis for assessment and treatment — and was being held in hospital. The IOPC, the police watchdog for England and Wales, says the two officers are accused of injuring the detained man through unlawful force on that date.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Charged; presumption of innocence. Both officers face one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and are due to appear at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on November 10, 2026; no conviction has been entered and no police employment action has been announced.
According to the IOPC, the officers allegedly used unlawful force on the man detained under the Mental Health Act in hospital on April 16, 2026, causing him injury. The watchdog began its investigation after receiving a mandatory referral from Sussex Police — the route forces must use to refer serious conduct allegations to the IOPC — and, following that investigation, charged both Harris and Fenu with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The charge and court date were announced publicly on November 6, 2026, in the IOPC’s own statement as reported by the BBC, with the watchdog naming both officers.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The case adds to the scrutiny of how police in England and Wales treat people in mental health crisis, with the alleged victim here being a detained patient rather than a free member of the public — the setting the IOPC has repeatedly flagged as requiring heightened care. Both officers remain charged rather than convicted, and neither Sussex Police nor the IOPC has announced any disciplinary outcome or employment action against them while the criminal case proceeds.
Current Status
Harris and Fenu are due to appear at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on November 10, 2026 to answer the assault charges. The criminal proceedings are pending, the IOPC’s investigation has concluded in charges, and any internal police disciplinary process would follow the outcome of the criminal case.
Impact on Their Career/Life
Both officers now face a criminal trial alongside whatever disciplinary consequences Sussex Police may pursue once the courts rule. For a serving PC, an ABH conviction would ordinarily end a policing career; for now, both men remain charged, not convicted, with the November court appearance the next step in a case that began with a mandatory referral from their own force.
Sources
- BBC News, “Two Sussex Police officers charged with assault, says IOPC.” source