Eight years’ jail for PC who killed ex-footballer
A PC who unlawfully killed Dalian Atkinson by tasering him and kicking him in the head was jailed for eight years yesterday.
Benjamin Monk was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter after jurors heard that he left two bootlace imprints on the former Premier League star’s forehead – following an “excessive” 33-second use of the Taser.
Monk’s six-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court was told he was “not honest” after the death of the former Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town striker, claiming to have aimed a single kick at the victim’s shoulder.
Atkinson, who had smashed a window while suffering a mental health crisis, died in hospital around an hour after an ambulance was called to the scene near his father’s home in Telford, Shropshire, on August 15 2016.
The charity Inquest said Monk, 43, is the first police officer in England andWales to be found guilty of unlawful killing over a death in custody or following police contact since 1986.
Passing sentence, Judge Melbourne Inman QC told Monk: “You have let yourself and the force
down.” After the hearing, the former footballer’s family said: “Monk used horrendous violence against Dalian, who was in an extremely vulnerable position in mental health crisis. “This was a callous attack and a terrible abuse of a police officer’s position of trust. He then failed to give a full and honest account of what happened.”
It emerged on Monday that Monk had been found guilty of gross misconduct in 2011 after failing to mention two cautions on his application to join the West Mercia force in 2001.