About us

Andrew Ashong, 44, is a London based musician, who has travelled the world, singing, playing, performing and DJing at concerts and festivals. He has released a number of records to critical acclaim and has regularly performed on stages to thousands of people. He mentors young musicians and educates people about the history of different musical cultures.

Dr Aditi Jaganathan, 35, is an educator, writer and activist, with a number of degrees including a law degree, a masters in ‘Conflict, Justice and Human Rights’ and a Doctorate in Sociology. Having taught at Brunel University and Goldsmiths College, she is committed to education for liberation and continues to teach and guide learning for adults and young people alike, all over the world.

Our case

On 1 May 2023, our lives changed irrevocably.  After our car was pulled over by the police, we were assaulted, arrested and taken to a police station where we were detained overnight.

We believe that we were targeted as suspected drug dealers because we were perceived to be black.We are asking for your support in our legal case against the Metropolitan Police as we seek justice and accountability.

What happened

We were driving home from a dinner with friends when we were pulled over by Metropolitan Police officers for no apparent reason around the Bermondsey area.  We were both completely sober and were driving with care.  However, after asking why we were being pulled over, the officers told us that they suspected that we were hiding drugs. When we tried to ask for an explanation, we were accused of obstructing a drugs search.

Andrew, who was driving, was dragged out of the car by police officers. He was pepper sprayed directly into his face, arrested and handcuffed.  Aditi was arrested, put in handcuffs and detained in the back of a police van, unable to see what was happening to Andrew.  During this time, officers searched our car and took a pot of digestive enzymes claiming that they might in fact be Class A drugs.  They then arrested us further for possession of Class A drugs.   We were both strip-searched and detained in separate cells in Walworth police station for over 16 hours. All our drug tests came back negative but it was only when laboratory testing confirmed that they were in fact digestive enzymes (for dietary intolerance) that all charges against us were dropped.

Why our case is important

We believe that our appearance and racialised identities resulted in unreasonable and disproportionate force at the hands of the Metropolitan Police. We are not naïve to the realities of being racialised people in our country today.  We know that people perceived as black by the police are 4 times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people, and many times more likely to be subject to all kinds of force such as handcuffing, PAVA spray, tasers and batons.  We have this knowledge but it did not in any way prepare us to experience this targeting ourselves or for the sudden burst of violence and watching the person you love being violently assaulted.  Andrew has been the victim of disproportionate policing before in that he has been stopped and searched on multiple occasions without justification.  What we experienced on this day, however, was nothing like either of us have been subjected to before.  It has significantly impacted us psychologically.

Why are we raising funds? 

Our legal team at Bindmans LLP are assisting us in holding the Metropolitan Police to account for their treatment of us. However, there are costs which we require help with raising.  This includes medico-legal reports, court fees and any other costs relating to our litigation.

We strongly believe that we are fighting this case not only for ourselves, but countless victims and survivors of police brutality, state violence and institutional racism.  We are so grateful for any contributions you can make to support us in this fight for justice and accountability.

Please note: Due to the technicalities of crowdfunding, we are starting with a small target to cover costs we are incurring this month. After this, we will keep fundraising to support our fight for justice throughout the stages of our case.