Jordan Begley Taser death: Mother saw 'fear in his face'

The inquest into Jordan Begley's death is scheduled to last five weeks

The mother of a man who died after being Tasered by police saw the "fear in his face" before the trigger was pulled, an inquest has heard.

Jordan Begley, 23, died in hospital two hours after he was shot by a police officer in Gorton, Manchester following a row with neighbours on 10 July 2013.

Manchester Civil Courts of Justice heard he was Tasered and struck by officers while being restrained.

The inquest is scheduled to last five weeks.

Row in street

PC Terence Donnelly, the officer said to have fired the stun gun at him, is expected to give evidence along with four other serving Greater Manchester Police officers: PCs Dave Graham, Christopher Mills, Peter Fox and Andrew Wright,

The jury heard Mr Begley was not holding a knife or weapon when the stun gun was fired at him from a distance of 70cm (27ins).

Mr Begley, who worked in an ice cream factory, had been accused of stealing a neighbour's handbag and a row developed in the street before he went back inside the house he shared with his mother, the court heard.

His mother called police as her son, a heavy drinker who also used cocaine, was threatening to get a knife, the inquest heard.

This resulted in a "Grade One" police response with a number of officers responding to the call to the family's home on Beard Road.

Mrs Begley was asked by an officer to go inside and remove their dog.

Nigel Meadows, Coroner for Manchester, reading from an opening address to the jury, said Mrs Begley saw her son in the dining room of the house and, "noticed his hands by his side and the officer had drawn his Taser and was pointing it at his heart".

'Final warning'

She recalled seeing laser lights in his eyes, the court heard.

"The officer was saying in a loud voice, words to the effect, 'This is your third and final warning! Step back!'

"She could see the fear in Jordan's face. He was not saying anything to the officers."

The court heard Mr Begley was hit twice with the Taser then resisted arrest as officers struggled to handcuff him.

He was hit twice with "distraction strikes", the court heard.

After being handcuffed, Mr Begley's breathing changed to "abnormal" and another officer who entered the room noticed a bump over his right eye and a carpet burn on his face, the inquest heard.

Mr Begley became "unresponsive", was treated with a defibrillator and taken to hospital in an ambulance.

Shortly after arriving at Manchester Royal Infirmary, Mrs Begley was told her son was dead.

Mr Meadows told the jury a police officer must ultimately be able to justify the use of physical force and that it was "lawful, reasonable and proportionate in all the circumstances".

The inquest continued with jurors being taken to Mr Begley's house where he was shot with the Taser.