PC Neil Lorimer is currently suspended from his work in Gloucester Police’s crime management unit (Picture: PA)

A serving police officer has been convicted of punching his niece in the face after swinging for his nephew at a family party.

PC Neil Lorimer, who was off-duty at the time but serves with Gloucestershire Police, left Emily Robinson with a black eye in the altercation.

He and other family members were gathered at Ryton Grange Farmhouse near Shrewsbury in Shropshire for a golden wedding anniversary in November 2021.

Lorimer, 41 told Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court things turned sour when his nephew-in-law Scott Boseley ‘upset’ his wife Natasha with ‘repeated comments’.

He said he went to intervene when the two ‘carried on arguing’ and Mr Boseley ‘raised his arm’ to his wife, which led to him attempting to ‘grab’ his nephew.

Lorimer, from Cheltenham, said: ‘All of a sudden, from my right, I saw this shadow, Emily, coming from my right.

‘I didn’t have time to pull my arm back.’

Mr Boseley denied saying anything or raising his arm towards Mrs Lorimer to justify triggering an attack.

The altercation broke out during a golden anniversary party at Ryton Grange Farmhouse (Picture: Google)

Lorimer was charged in May last year and is currently suspended from his work in the force’s crime management unit.

Ms Robinson described the ‘really nice night’ at her grandparents’ party changing when remarks were made about her aunt, Mrs Lorimer, whom she calls Tasha.

She said: ‘I was sat at the table with my mum, brother, nan and grandad, Neil (Lorimer) and Tasha, all in the kitchen and we were all having a laugh and a joke.

‘The next minute, Neil is stood up and lunged towards my brother, shouting and going crazy.’

She added: ‘Neil said, “What the f*** have you just said about my wife, Tasha” – after which he got in my brother’s face.

‘I still don’t know to this day what was being said.’

Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court heard how things turned sour when the officer’s nephew ‘upset’ his wife (Picture: Google)

Ms Robinson told the court she urged her brother towards the house’s front door: ‘That’s when I was met with a punch in the face.’

Prosecutor Shawn Williams said: ‘It seems (Lorimer) went to strike (Mr Boseley), missed, and hit Ms Robinson instead.’

Lorimer denied assault on the basis he was moving to defend his wife.

Following the incident, Ms Robinson said her family ‘were all running out afterwards and trying to take the phone to stop me ringing police’.

The mother-of-three said they ‘didn’t want Neil to lose his job, being a police officer’, and told her ‘it was an accident’.

Since she reported it, she said her family had ‘cut all ties’ and ‘ostracised’ her and her brother.

District Judge Ian Strongman said: ‘He got an idea in his head that Scott Boseley had behaved improperly towards his wife, he was angry and he struck out in temper.

‘The fact he was aiming at Scott and hit Emily is of no consequence, it’s a matter of transferred malice.

‘There’s no defence to the charge and I find him guilty of the assault.’

The police officer was ordered to do 150 hours’ unpaid work, pay £800 compensation as well as £850 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.

Lorimer intends to appeal the conviction.

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Things turned sour between PC Neil Lorimer and his nephew at a golden anniversary party.