Bijan Ebrahimi murder: PC bore 'no animosity' towards him

Bijan Ebrahimi was brutally murdered outside his flat in Brislington in July 2013

A police officer accused of failing to protect a disabled man before he was brutally murdered bore "no animosity" towards him, a court has heard.

Bijan Ebrahimi, 44, was killed in a vigilante attack in 2013 after false accusations of being a paedophile.

PC Kevin Duffy, 52, told Bristol Crown Court he felt Mr Ebrahimi sometimes wanted to use complaints as "ammunition" against the council.

Mr Duffy denies a charge of misconduct in public office.

Mr Ebrahimi was beaten to death and his body was set on fire by neighbour Lee James, who was later sentenced to life in prison.

PC Kevin Duffy said he dealt with Mr Ebrahimi "in a professional way".

The trial heard PC Duffy, who joined Avon and Somerset Police in 2005, had been investigating complaints concerning Mr Ebrahimi since 2007.

The investigations included a complaint of harassment in 2007, claims of racial assault and racial harassment in 2009, a report of a threat to kill in 2010 and a report of a ball being thrown to break one of his plant pots in 2011.

The officer replied "no" when asked by his defence lawyer - Ian Stern QC - whether he had "any deep-seated animosity" towards Mr Ebrahimi.

He told the court he had dealt with the Iranian national "in a professional way".

A police log, written by Duffy and read out to the court, said Mr Ebrahimi had "a history of making spurious complaints against his neighbours".

On one occasion in July 2013, PC Henrietta Staveley-Brown warned Mr Duffy that neighbours were heading to "dangerous ground that could bring on vigilante-type issues".

Mr Duffy told the court he could have arranged for officers to visit Mr Ebrahimi and his neighbours if there was "an imminent risk".

Three others also deny a charge of misconduct in public office - PC Leanne Winter, 38, PC Helen Harris, 40, and PCSO Andrew Passmore, 55.

The trial at Bristol Crown Court continues.