Police dog handler Kevin Peel guilty of kicking boy has assault conviction overturned PC Kevin Peel, 44, from Crawley, West Sussex, used police dog Oscar to prevent the 15-year-old from fleeing during a confrontation in a car park The teenager, who was equipped with bolt cutters, claimed PC Peel repeatedly kicked him while he was on the ground But today an appeal hearing ruled there was not enough evidence and noted an assault would have been 'out of character' Innocent: Judges found that PC Kevin Peel's 'long and unblemished record' meant that they could not be certain he used excessive force in detaining the teenager A police dog handler who was found guilty of kicking a school boy in the throat is celebrating after his conviction was quashed because of lack of evidence. PC Kevin Peel, 44, set loose his seven-stone German Shepherd, Oscar, which sank its teeth into the 15-year-old during a confrontation in a supermarket car park. The teenager claimed PC Peel kicked him on the waist and throat as the dog mauled him during a trial at Westminster Magistrates" Court. He admitted being with a group of youths running away from officers near a branch of Sainsbury's in Vauxhall, south west London in the early hours of July 17 last year. He was carrying a bag of bolt croppers and initially fled on his bike before he was apprehended by PC Peel and his colleagues. The boy, from Wandsworth, later accepted a caution for going equipped for theft. PC Peel, of Crawley, west Sussex told the court that he deployed Oscar because the boy appeared to be about to run off. The officer insisted he used "every ounce of strength" to prevent the Oscar from biting again after he had pinned the teenager to the ground but struggled to control the animal. PC Peel said: "Because the boy was thrashing about and, as expected, shouting and screaming, it made it difficult for me to grab Oscar's collar. I am between Oscar and the boy because I would rather he bit me than the boy again. "All my dog really wanted to do is get past me to protect me," PC Peel said. When asked if he deliberately kicked the boy, PC Peel replied: "Of course I didn't. I find it extremely upsetting that I would be accused of that. Last month the officer was fined £500 for assault and ordered to pay costs of £500 with a £50 victim surcharge. But after hearing his appeal today, Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith, sitting with two JPs at Southwark Crown Court, decided to quash his conviction. Judge Loraine-Smith said: "We found PC Peel an impressive witness with a long and unblemished record. There is a mass of evidence for that for him to behave in this way was completely out of character. The question is, can we be sure that he used excessive force in carrying out that detention. On the evidence we heard today, we don't think we can be sure. The scene: PC Peel stopped the teenager in the early hours of July 17 last year, he was equipped with bolt cutters and later accepted a caution for being equipped for theft Accordingly we allow this appeal. Shaven headed and smartly dressed in a blue suit, Peel remained impassive as the ruling was passed but later grinned as he shook the hand of a colleague in apparent celebration. He refused to comment when approached after the hearing. Peel, of Crawley, West Sussex, had always denied assault. He was also acquitted of a public order offence in relation to allegedly calling the boy an offensive name at the trial in September this year.