The Guardian reported that Officer Benjamin Monk of the Mercia Police Force was convicted of the murder by a jury of Birmingham Court.
Monk was also accused of lying about his account, as Atkinson’s blood was found in the laces of his police boots.
Monk is the first officer to be convicted of manslaughter in the line of duty in more than three decades.
what happened?
Initially, the police received a report from Dalian’s brother and neighbors that his brother, who was suffering from health problems, threatened their father with death and broke into the house.
When the police arrived at the location of the report, Atkinson was in a state of extreme anger as he was trying to open the door to his father’s house, so the officers electrocuted him without knowing his condition.
When the policeman dealt him with an electric taser, he failed on the first two attempts, then Atkinson broke the door of the house, before succeeding in the third attempt to stun him.
But the former player went into cardiac arrest after being shocked for 33 seconds, more than six times the record time of five seconds.
Monk’s colleague, Mary Ellen Betley-Smith, hits Atkinson with a truncheon after he fell from electrocution.
Monk kicked him twice in the head so hard that it left his shoe imprints on Atkinson’s forehead.
The former French Metz player breathed his last on the way to the hospital.
The case reached the courts and remained on trial until Monk was convicted of manslaughter.
West Mercia Police Pc Benjamin Monk has been found guilty of the manslaughter of ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson but cleared of his murder after a trial at #Birmingham Crown Court. pic.twitter.com/3jHd2l58iU
— Radio News Hub (@radionewshub) June 23, 2021
Atkinson played for many clubs, including Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday in England, Real Sociedad of Spain, Aston Villa, Fenerbahce of Turkey, Metz of France, Manchester City, Ittihad Jeddah of Saudi Arabia, Daejeon Citizen and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in China.
The striker, who did not play internationally, passed away at the age of 48.
Atkinson scored more than 75 goals in 246 matches during his career.
