A police offer has been found guilty of murder due to the tragic death of the former Aston Villa freight forwarder Dalian Atkinson in 2016.
PC Benjamin Monk of West Mercia police was cleared of murder but convicted of murder after harassing Atkinson for 33 seconds, far longer than a normal bike, and kicking the retired football player twice in the head.
Police had originally been called to the scene to intervene and subdue an aggressive Atkinson, who was later described by his brother as in a “manic state” and “depressed”, during a brawl in which he allegedly threatened to kill his father.
The usual protocol for tasering is only five seconds, which means that Atkinson, only 48 at the time of his death, was exposed to more than six times the normal cycle. He later suffered a cardiac arrest in an ambulance on his way to hospital and was pronounced dead early on August 15, 2016.
Atkinson played for Aston Villa in the early 1990s / Shaun Botterill / Getty Images
The Guardian writes that PC Monk was accused of lying in court about his account of the events and is the first officer convicted of murder during his service of more than 30 years.
Atkinson spent time at Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa, Real Sociedad and Fenerbahce, among others, during a 16-year professional career. He is perhaps best known for making a sublime solo effort for Villa against Wimbledon in October 1992 in the inaugural Premier League campaign, which was later named the Match of the Day goal of the season.
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