collapse collapse

Please donate to help towards the costs of keeping this site going. Thank You.

Recent Topics

Recent Posts

Re: UEFA Europa Conference League-Knockout stages (Lille) by algy
[Today at 07:57:27 AM]


Re: FFP by algy
[Today at 07:51:30 AM]


Re: FFP by Rigadon
[Today at 07:24:35 AM]


Re: Aston Villa v Wolverhampton Wanderers Pre Match by Sexual Ealing
[Today at 07:18:33 AM]


Re: FFP by rob_bridge
[Today at 07:02:22 AM]


Re: Brian Evans by JD
[Today at 05:32:46 AM]


Re: Douglas Luiz - Confirmed confirmed by Hillbilly
[Today at 04:32:33 AM]


Re: Aston Villa v Wolverhampton Wanderers Pre Match by Hillbilly
[Today at 04:27:04 AM]

Follow us on...

Author Topic: Dalian Atkinson trial  (Read 22557 times)

Offline simon ward 50

  • Member
  • Posts: 2405
  • Age: 59
  • Location: The North (Stand)
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #150 on: September 28, 2022, 03:43:52 PM »
Scandalous verdict!

Offline paul_e

  • Member
  • Posts: 33279
  • Age: 44
  • GM : July, 2013
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #151 on: September 28, 2022, 03:50:47 PM »
From BBC.

A police officer has been found not guilty of assaulting an ex-footballer the night he was killed.

Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith was accused of striking Dalian Atkinson with her baton when he posed no threat in August 2016, but claimed she was "very frightened".

Mr Atkinson had been acting out of character outside his father's house in Telford due to ongoing health issues and died after being Tasered by PC Bettley-Smith's partner, Benjamin Monk.

He was jailed for manslaughter in 2021.

At Birmingham Crown Court, jurors heard the two West Mercia Police officers were called to Mr Atkinson's father's home on Meadow Close in Trench late on 15 August.

The former striker, who played for Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town, was said to have been in a disturbed mental state - likely as a result of a build-up of toxins linked to renal failure.

Dalian Atkinson
IMAGE SOURCE,FAMILY
Image caption,
Dalian Atkinson was in a disturbed mental state at the time he was killed
PC Bettley-Smith, 32, told the court she was "terrified" of the 48-year-old who she said looked "huge" and "very angry".

Monk would go on to deploy three Taser cartridges, but after the first PC Bettley-Smith said "there was literally no reaction" from Mr Atkinson.

Her colleague was jailed last year after being convicted of manslaughter. Mr Atkinson died in hospital about an hour after Monk tasered him and kicked him in the head with enough force to leave imprints of his bootlaces.

PC Bettley-Smith struck him three times with her baton while he was laying on the ground after the final discharge.

Prosecutors argued that PC Bettley-Smith, while not contributing to Mr Atkinson's death, caused him actual bodily harm.

They argued she was "angry" with Mr Atkinson, who they said was laying on the ground and posing no threat however jurors agreed with the defence that the officer had used her baton lawfully as a last resort.

Jurors deliberated for just over three hours before acquitting PC Bettley-Smith.

That bold bit is pretty worrying, tased 3 times, kicked in the head and she felt it was a 'last resort' to hit him with her baton. If nothing else it shows a pretty severe lack of judgement and comes entirely as a a result of the 'terrified' thing a few lines above.

Offline aj2k77

  • Member
  • Posts: 10799
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #152 on: September 28, 2022, 05:36:13 PM »
Fucking corrupt scum.

Offline PeterWithesShin

  • Member
  • Posts: 67443
  • GM : 17.03.2015
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #153 on: September 28, 2022, 05:55:53 PM »
Shameful and disgraceful verdict.

Offline Hopadop

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 4073
  • Location: North London
  • GM : 07.08.2024
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #154 on: September 28, 2022, 06:23:52 PM »
The reporting doesn't help.  This:

They argued she was "angry" with Mr Atkinson, who they said was laying on the ground and posing no threat however jurors agreed with the defence that the officer had used her baton lawfully as a last resort.

Just isn't correct.  What it should say is "jurors agreed with the defence that the officer had used her baton lawfully as a last resort, or at least were not sure that she had not done so."

They may have thought she was not guilty at all and the prosecution of her was a disgrace.  Or they may have thought it likely she was guilty.  Those two, and everything in between, should result in the acquittal.

This jury, who took the oath and heard all the evidence, were not sure of her guilt.  Worth remembering neither were a majority of the previous jury who convicted her colleague of manslaughter.

Offline cdbearsfan

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 61464
  • Location: Yardley Massive
  • I still hate Bono.
  • GM : 03.02.2025
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #155 on: September 28, 2022, 06:42:52 PM »
What a load of old shite that is.

Offline Hopadop

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 4073
  • Location: North London
  • GM : 07.08.2024
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #156 on: September 28, 2022, 07:45:58 PM »
What is? The jury system?  The burden and standard of proof?

It's quite important.

Offline PeterWithesShin

  • Member
  • Posts: 67443
  • GM : 17.03.2015
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #157 on: September 28, 2022, 07:58:34 PM »
Well I for one shall sleepy soundly knowing there's police out there who despite their 'training' are so fucking shit at their job that they can't realise that a bloke lying unconscious on the floor having already being tazered 3 times, and also kicked in the head just for good measure, isn't actually any threat.

Offline cdbearsfan

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 61464
  • Location: Yardley Massive
  • I still hate Bono.
  • GM : 03.02.2025
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #158 on: September 28, 2022, 07:58:44 PM »
What is? The jury system?  The burden and standard of proof?

It's quite important.

The verdict.

Offline Hopadop

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 4073
  • Location: North London
  • GM : 07.08.2024
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #159 on: September 28, 2022, 08:27:16 PM »
That's fine, but unless you've sat in court and heard all the evidence you're not in a position to really assess.  I've had many cases where I've read the report and not recognised the account given.  Living and breathing it, as you hope the jury do, is totally different.

Again, the previous jury who convicted her colleague of the far more serious offence, couldn't agree on her.  And another has now acquitted her.  That would give me pause.

There's plenty who think that juries get it wrong all the time.  Most of them are ranting in the Daily Mail comments.

Online SamTheMouse

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 9622
  • Location: The Land of the Fragrant Founders of Human Rights, Fine Wines & Bikinis
  • GM : 03.11.2024
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #160 on: September 28, 2022, 09:33:00 PM »
Reading about this just makes me angry and sad for the poor bloke and his family.

You obviously have to defer to the jury as they have heard all the evidence and have to make a decision based on what the law says. But the woman is clearly a baton-happy twat.

Offline cdbearsfan

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 61464
  • Location: Yardley Massive
  • I still hate Bono.
  • GM : 03.02.2025
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #161 on: September 29, 2022, 12:21:04 AM »
You don't have to defer to the jury given the long history, worldwide, of obviously bollocks verdicts given in favour of scumbag police officers. Like this one.

Offline ASHTONVILLA

  • Member
  • Posts: 4442
  • Location: Woodplumpton
    • http://www.levitycropscience.com
  • GM : 01.08.2022
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #162 on: September 29, 2022, 12:56:15 AM »
Very odd decision. If a member of the public whacked someone on the head with a baton as 'a last resort' when already incapicitated, they would be in deep trouble.

Offline darren woolley

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 34086
  • Location: London
  • GM : 12.12.2024
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #163 on: September 29, 2022, 09:38:48 AM »
Disgusting verdict

Online SamTheMouse

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 9622
  • Location: The Land of the Fragrant Founders of Human Rights, Fine Wines & Bikinis
  • GM : 03.11.2024
Re: Dalian Atkinson trial
« Reply #164 on: September 29, 2022, 11:52:24 AM »
You don't have to defer to the jury given the long history, worldwide, of obviously bollocks verdicts given in favour of scumbag police officers. Like this one.

You do until you've heard everything that they did.

 


SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal