source: BBC News
published: 29 June 2021
A police officer who unlawfully killed Dalian Atkinson by tasering him to the ground and kicking him in the head has been jailed for eight years. PC Benjamin Monk, 43, discharged his taser three times and kicked him twice in the head, leaving bootlace prints on his forehead, his trial heard.
The former Aston Villa striker died after the 2016 stand-off outside his father’s home in Telford, Shropshire. Jurors cleared Monk of an alternative charge of murder on 23 June. He will serve two-thirds of his sentence before being entitled to release on licence.
Speaking after the conviction, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was the first time in over 30 years that a British police officer had been convicted of manslaughter in the course of their duties.
Although there have been 10 murder or manslaughter charges brought against police officers since 1990, those accused have all either been acquitted or the case has collapsed.
Monk is also believed to be the first officer to face a murder charge after a person had been tasered by police. Passing sentence, Judge Melbourne Inman QC told Monk it “should have been obvious to you” the force used was excessive.
Other News:
PC who killed Dalian Atkinson was kept on by police despite gross misconduct
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