A police officer accused of the murder and manslaughter of former Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson shot him with a Taser for 33 seconds – more than six times longer than recommended, a jury has heard.
PC Benjamin Monk, 42, is on trial at Birmingham Crown Court and has denied any wrongdoing leading to Mr Atkinson’s death.
Opening the prosecution case against the West Mercia Police constable, the Crown’s QC Alexandra Healy told jurors the standard default setting of a Taser is a five-second phase, but it is possible to override that by continuing to depress the trigger.
“PC Monk continued to depress the trigger for more than six times the length of a standard five-second phase,” she said.
“The Taser was deployed for 33 seconds.”
Jurors also heard the 48-year-old former footballer, who played for Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday, was kicked twice in the head by Monk “with enough force to leave the imprint of the pattern of the laces from the top of his boot on two separate areas of Mr Atkin’s forehead”.
His colleague, Pc Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, 31 – known as Ellie – is also on trial alongside Monk, charged with assault.
“She struck Dalian Atkinson repeatedly with an extended baton whilst he was lying on the ground, having been incapacitated on the ground by Taser,” Ms Healy told the court.
Bettley-Smith has pleaded not guilty to a charge alleging she assaulted Mr Atkinson occasioning actual bodily harm before his death on August 15 2016.