Sgt Mark Andrews dragged the woman across the police station A policeman is facing the sack after he was caught on CCTV throwing a woman into a cell, badly injuring her.
The footage also shows Sgt Mark Andrews dragging the woman across the floor of Melksham police station in Wiltshire.
The woman, now 59, was arrested in July 2008 after being found asleep in her car. Her treatment left her with facial injuries and needing hospital care.
Andrews has been convicted of causing the woman actual bodily harm and is expected to be dismissed from his job.
His victim, who has not been named, said: “I thought I was going to die, by people that you trust.
“You can’t imagine it. They’re the people that you trust, so who do you trust after that?
“You don’t treat somebody – even if you’ve found them guilty of the worst possible thing you can possibly imagine – you don’t put them in a situation where they have to be in hospital twice in one day, do you?”
The case was brought after one of Andrews’ colleagues reported the matter to senior officers, who have apologised to the woman.
Assistant Chief Constable Patrick Geenty said: “We’ve had no other complaints like this, of this severity in custody in Wiltshire. So it’s a completely disgraceful incident.
“It’s one that we are appalled about and it’s one that we will learn the lessons from.”
Andrews, who has been suspended on full pay since his conviction, is due to be sentenced for the assault at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. He is also to face a police misconduct hearing.
BBC home affairs correspondent Steve Brodie said he understood that the officer would be sacked.
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