PC feared for life before Taser use, court told

A Metropolitan Police officer has told a jury he believed a suspected burglar who fell from a wall after being Tasered was trying to kill him.

Leonard Sandiford was fleeing police in Woodford Green, east London, when he climbed onto an outbuilding and fell to the ground after being Tasered, leaving him tetraplegic, jurors heard.

Met Police Constable Liam Newman, 31, from Hornchurch, denies causing grievous bodily harm to Sandiford.

He told jurors at Southwark Crown Court he believed there was a high chance Sandiford was carrying a weapon and claimed he was protecting himself and others.

Newman had responded to reports of a burglary at a bookmaker's in Chigwell Road at about 05:00 GMT on 24 April 2022.

The court has heard that after being called to the scene, two officers approached a white Ford van driven by Sandiford and blocked it as it turned into a side road.

The officers tried to stop the vehicle. Newman used his baton to strike the driver's side, opened the door and attempted to pull Sandiford out, the court was told.

On Thursday, Newman said it was his "honest belief" that Sandiford was trying to run him over during the incident, but he now accepts this was not the case.

He said his belief that Sandiford was trying to hurt him stemmed from "the previous incident further down the road".

"My honest-held belief at the time from the previous incident further down the road is that he's willing to… in my opinion, he's trying to kill me, he's trying to hurt me, he's trying to seriously harm me," he told the court.

He added that he was "trying to stop Mr Sandiford in the safest, quickest way possible".

The officer added he did not know Sandiford personally but told jurors it was common for suspected burglars to carry weapons, including acid or screwdrivers.

Following a chase, Sandiford was Tasered and fell from a height of about 5ft to 6ft (1.5m to 1.8m), injuring his spinal cord.

He is now tetraplegic and uses a wheelchair, prosecutor Irshad Sheikh previously told the jury.

Bodycam footage shown in court captured Sandiford moving across the building with his back to the camera before the Taser was activated, after which he disappeared from view.

It was put to Newman by Sheikh that he could have chased Sandiford but "couldn't be bothered", which the defendant denied.

"You would have resisted the urge to pull the trigger twice if you had any concern for his safety," Sheikh said.

"I did have concern for his safety," Newman replied.

The prosecution argues that firing the Taser in those circumstances was an unreasonable use of force and therefore unlawful.

Sandiford previously told the court he ran from the officers because he had been "spooked" after seeing a truncheon and a Taser.

The trial continues.

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