Officer hit autistic man with baton, court hears

A former police officer left a man bleeding from the head after hitting him with a baton during an arrest, a court has heard.

Shaun Elliott, 56, is on trial accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following the incident at Buxton Police Station in Derbyshire on 30 December 2022.

On Monday, prosecutors told the first day of the trial the former Derbyshire Police officer had struck Kian Green, who is autistic and has cerebral palsy, in the back of a police van while attempting a search.

A video played to jurors at Derby Crown Court on Monday showed Green screaming "I want to go home" while blood ran down his face.

The court heard Green had gone to the police station to ask for help with a letter he had received.

After officers in a back office ran his details through their systems, they came to the building's foyer to arrest him.

Philip Cowburn, prosecuting, said Green became upset and asked to phone his mother before officers started to handcuff him.

Bodyworn camera footage showed he fell to the ground and a number of officers, who came to help with the arrest, pinned him down.

Green, the court heard, banged his head against the base of the front desk and screamed for his inhaler, which he was given by one of the officers.

A police van was brought to the front of the building and Green was lifted into the back.

He was screaming that he could not stand and was unable to straighten one of his legs, the court heard.

The defendant, who was a serving PC at the time of the incident, could be heard telling Green he was "shouting like a girl".

Green was then searched, and was seen to bang his head on the floor of the van.

A different angle showed Elliott, of Ashbourne in Derbyshire, rolling his eyes and shaking his head while the search took place before he took hold of the man himself.

The defendant was heard shouting "behave" as Green again banged his head against the van.

The footage played to the jury showed other officers closing the van door behind Elliott and another colleague, at which point he extended his baton and raised it above his head.

Prosecutors said Green started screaming in "terror" before the defendant was seen bringing the weapon down on his head once.

Elliott, who is no longer working for the police, said "never bite an officer" and the man was heard shouting "I didn't bite him".

The video footage showed blood starting to drip down his face and him shouting "I want to go home".

Officers started to apply first aid and put a bandage on the wound, which was located just above his left eye. Green then started to wretch and was sick, the court heard.

Opening the case, Cowburn said: "This case revolves around an unfortunate set of circumstances where a police officer, the prosecution will say, went too far."

The barrister said there was "no need" for Elliott to strike Green with the baton and there were "missed opportunities" to de-escalate the situation.

"Police officers in this country, members of the jury, are allowed and trusted to carry weapons throughout the course of their duties," Cowburn said.

"What we don't allow police officers to do, though, is to use those weapons on innocent and indeed vulnerable people - people in their care."

Giving evidence on Monday, PC Neil Palmer told the court he was one of the officers to arrive to assist in the man's arrest.

He told the court Green had not tried to bite him, but had "clawed" at his hand, at which point he had told him to "get away" from him.

The officer said while grabbing his arm, Green had pulled his hand towards his head.

He said Elliott did not lose his temper at any point and that restraining the man was "absolutely necessary", partially for his own safety after he banged his head against multiple surfaces.

The trial continues.

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