A man who tumbled from the top of an outbuilding after being Tasered by a police officer is now confined to a wheelchair, Southwark Crown court has been told.
Leonard Sandiford, 61, was running away from police in Woodford Green, east London, when he entered into a a cul-de-sac and climbed on to what was described as a “shed structure”.
He was Tasered and fell from a height of between 5 and 6ft. Prosecutors assert that this resulted in catastrophic injury
Irshad Sheikh, prosecuting, told the court that Sandiford sustained a spinal cord injury and is now tetraplegic and reliant on a wheelchair. The jury was told these consequences followed directly from the fall after the Taser discharge.
Metropolitan Police Constable Liam Newman, 31, from Hornchurch, denies a charge of grievous bodily harm against Sandiford. Jurors were told the prosecution case is that firing the Taser in the circumstances was an unreasonable use of force and therefore unlawful.
In the opening phase of the case, Sheikh said: “Mr Sandiford was simply running away. He was not a threat to either of the officers.” He added that Newman had received training in the deployment and use of Tasers.
Sheikh told the court: “A person being incapacitated in these circumstances would inevitably lead to the risk of an uncontrolled and unsupported fall.” He continued: “The risk of injury being caused in these circumstances should have been obvious to PC Newman.”
The court heard that Newman and another officer were responding to a report of an attempted burglary at a bookmakers in Chigwell Road, Woodford Green, at about 05:00 on 24 April 2022. They approached a white Ford van being driven by Sandiford and cut it off as it neared a side road.
Jurors were told the officers attempted to stop the vehicle. Newman used his baton to strike at the driver’s side, opened the door and tried to pull Sandiford out. Sandiford held his hands up as he exited the van, the court heard.
Newman then shouted at Sandiford to get on to his knees while pointing a Taser at him. Sandiford bent his knees slightly before running away and was pursued by both officers, leading to the events that culminated in the Taser discharges, fall, and injuries.
During the chase, Newman fired his Taser twice. Jurors were told it was also discharged twice when Sandiford had scaled the wall of the shed structure. After the first shot while Sandiford was on the wall, he “gave out a yell but continued on his way”, Sheikh said.
The second discharge incapacitated Sandiford, causing him to lose control of his muscles and fall to the ground.
The court heard that this fall led to the injuries now being considered.
The trial is ongoing.
