RUC man cleared of assault

An RUC sergeant who was cleared of causing grievous bodily harm to an alleged prisoner said afterwards it was obvious from the lack of evidence that he should never have had to stand trial. A jury at Belfast Crown Court took less than five minutes last Thursday to find Sgt Lawrence Templeton (42) not guilty. Mr Andrew Briggs had claimed that on September 20th, 1994, he was assaulted in a car-park at Newtownabbey RUC station.