Haunted by war, ‘killed by a Taser’
Traumatised Afghan veteran dies in street after police shooting
A FORMER soldier haunted by the horrors of war has died after being Tasered by police.
Corporal Spencer Beynon, 43, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, collapsed and died in the street after being hit by the 50,000-volt weapon.
Officers were sent to a house in Llanelli, South Wales, on Tuesday night after a neighbour raised concerns about the former body builder’s safety. It is understood Mr Beynon was visiting a friend at his house.
Witnesses said they saw a man armed with a kitchen knife looking ‘out of it’. He stabbed a dog and then himself, before he was Tasered.
The former member of the Royal Welsh Regiment – known as Spence – lost comrades in a roadside bomb attack in Basra and was left traumatised by his experiences. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and had turned to cannabis after his release from the Army more than five years ago.
Neighbours reported hearing an ‘almighty commotion’ before police cars arrived. Halder Monteiro, 43, said: ‘I could hear lots of shouting and at first I just thought it was kids messing around.
‘I then went out to see what was going on and I could see a guy in the street who looked totally out of it. He didn’t seem himself – as if he wasn’t there.
‘He just had this look in his eyes. You could tell he wasn’t acting rationally.
‘He then started hitting his head against a window several times and looked to be holding a dog in his arms. After police used the Taser, he fell to the floor and the dog he was carrying was crawling on its back legs. It looked injured.’
Mr Beynon’s sister Esther said last night: ‘I’m trying to be strong for my parents. I just can’t speak at the moment, our hearts are ripped in pieces and our lives will never be the same again.
‘My baby bro and the man I loved more than anything has left my life and there was nothing I could do to help him. But he’s at peace now.’
Mr Beynon’s niece Georgia added: ‘My uncle was truly an amazing man. Absolutely everyone loved him and I know he is going to be missed by so many.
‘No one will ever understand how much he has been through, but he is in a safe, happy place now.’ A friend of Mr Beynon, Brendan Goddard, 34, said: ‘Spencer was a lovely bloke. He was a good guy but I think he had been struggling with his mental health since leaving the Army. Since he’s come back home, he’s not been the same.’
Another friend William Hopkins said: ‘I’m absolutely devastated. He was a warrior and did his country proud.’
Mr Beynon was welcomed back to Wales from Iraq along with his regiment when hundreds of people lined the streets for a homecoming parade in December 2007. At the time, he said: ‘We knew the dangers that we faced every day and that didn’t deter us in what we had to do.
‘However there were certain times when it was a very, very scary place to be. Unfortunately there were casualties and losses of lives which will affect the battalion and all who knew our friends and colleagues that passed away and it will affect us for a long time yet.’
After leaving the Army, he moved back to his hometown of Llanelli where he lived alone with his dog Lucky. Local councillor Robert Davies, 61, said: ‘I think he found it hard coming out of the Army. So many of our soldiers who serve their country are forgotten about.
‘He was a very fit young man – I would see him going to the gym or out on his bike, but he would always wave and say hello.’
Independent Police Complaints Commissioner for Wales Jan Williams said: ‘This was a traumatic event for all involved and I send my sympathies to the man’s family and friends at this difficult time.
‘We have begun a thorough investigation into the police interaction with the man.’