Playwright turns drink drive arrest into Fringe show

Published on Tuesday 28 July 2009 09:42

A PLAYWRIGHT who was arrested during last year's Edinburgh Festival and claims he was assaulted by police officers in a cell has turned his experiences into a new production.

Peter Yates lodged a complaint with the Lothian and Borders force claiming that he was attacked by five officers at a city police station after being brought in on drink-driving charges.

An investigation carried out by Deputy Chief Constable Tom Halpin found that there was "no evidence to support the complaint" and it was rejected.

Mr Yates says CCTV footage from the cell area at time had been accidentally erased by police.

Now the 49-year-old writer has used this as inspiration for his play, 14 Seconds, which will be staged at this year's Festival. Mr Yates said the show examines the issue of officers exceeding their powers and whether we are becoming a police state.

Last August, he pleaded guilty to being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink and refusing to give a breath test at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and received a one-year ban and a 500 fine.

A charge of resisting arrest was dropped but he said he was left traumatised and submitted a complaint after the court case was finished.

When he learned in February that the complaint had been thrown out, he immediately started work on his latest creation, featuring an arrested man and several police officers.

Mr Yates had been marking the final performance of his Festival production, Gullibility Factor, at the Cabaret Voltaire nightclub on Blair Street on 16 August last year. He said: "It was about 2.30am and I went out to my car to get change to put in the meter. It had been the last night of the show and I'd had quite a lot to drink.

"Two police officers approached me and asked me my name. I was quite taken aback and told them I was just getting some change from my car. I asked why they needed my name and within 30 seconds of them first approaching me, I was arrested and handcuffed for being in control of a vehicle while drunk.

"I was put in a van and taken to the station. In the holding area it was claimed I resisted arrest by flailing my arms around, which was impossible because I was handcuffed.

"At that point I was dragged to the cells by five officers and I sustained a number of injuries.

"The CCTV footage from the holding area clearly showed I did not flail my arms or resist arrest. But after I complained, I was told the CCTV film from the cell area had been accidentally erased.

"I'd gone to a doctor after being released and he documented eight separate injuries."

Mr Yates, who lives in Dunstable in Bedfordshire and also teaches drama, said he was looking forward to staging the play, which will be at The Spaces venue at The Royal College of Surgeons on Nicolson Street.

He added: "The show is a satire which takes my experience as a launching point to look at the police generally. I was also inspired by the G20 protests in London when the police were accused of over-reacting and injuring legitimate protestors.

"We've had performances in London already and people were actually quite shocked by it."

A police spokesman confirmed that a complaint was received following Mr Yates' conviction.

He added: "Following a full investigation of the circumstances it was established that there was no evidence to support the complaint and the complainer was advised accordingly."

He could not comment on the allegations of missing footage.