A Policeman is suing his boss, the Police Commissioner, for false imprisonment relating to his arrest over a domestic dispute.

Robert Butterfield could get compensation of around $20,000 if he wins, according to his lawyer Richard Horseman, who admits the case is "a little unusual".

Police Constable Butterfield, 40, was arrested for breaching the peace and spent two days in the cells after a complaint from Kimberlee Pitcher, his former partner and mother of his child.

An ongoing domestic dispute between the two saw him twice face criminal charges over the course of 2006 and 2007. The first case saw him charged with assault, uttering threatening words and trespassing, but the charges were later dropped at the request of Ms Pitcher.

He later went on trial for stalking Ms Pitcher and acting in an abusive manner although he was cleared after a trial at Magistrates' Court.

Pc Butterfield was suspended from the Police Service on two-thirds pay for more than a year as a result of the legal proceedings against him.

He was critical of his employer after being acquitted in the stalking case, telling this newspaper: "The Police need to properly investigate things as well. They need to be more transparent. I'm a policeman but I feel they have failed me in a way. If they do that to me, what chance does a normal person in the street have?"

Mr. Horseman confirmed he has issued proceedings against the Police Commissioner, who is now Michael DeSilva, but was George Jackson at the time of the incident.

"Robert Butterfield has launched a legal action for false imprisonment in relation to two days he spent in Hamilton Police Station in 2006. He was arrested for a breach of peace," he explained.

"The suit alleges that there were no lawful grounds to support such an arrest, which stemmed from a complaint made by (his) former partner and mother of his child."

Asked what damages he is seeking, Mr. Horseman replied: "It's for the court to assist, in England it's £500 per hour (of false imprisonment.) So probably about $20,000."

He said the papers have not been served on the Police and he is looking to include the Attorney General on the writ later too. No court date has been fixed for the matter, which was filed at the Supreme Court Registry on March 16.

Pc Butterfield declined to comment, referring questions to his lawyer. A Bermuda Police Service spokesman also declined to comment, citing the pending litigation as the reason.