Tasered Jordan Begley was 'punched' by policeman

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Jordan Lee BegleyImage source, PA
Image caption,

Jordan Begley suffered a cardiac arrest about two minutes after being hit by a Taser

A man who died after being Tasered was punched twice by a police officer, an inquest has heard.

Jordan Begley, 23, died in hospital after being shot with the stun gun at his Manchester home in 2013.

Police officers rushed to the scene after his mother called 999 to say he had grabbed a knife during a row with neighbours.

Mr Begley was hit with "distraction strikes" described as "standard procedure" for those resisting arrest.

'Laboured breathing'

Manchester Civil Courts of Justice heard Mr Begley had thrown the knife down when he was shot with the Taser from about two feet away in his mother's dining room by PC Terence Donnelly.

In a statement, PC Lee Moore described hearing a sound like that of a head hitting the floor and seeing Mr Begley face down on the floor, struggling with officers.

Two officers including PC Christopher Mills were trying to handcuff Mr Begley, the court heard.

"PC Mills applied two distraction strikes to the torso, to the upper back using a clenched fist," PC Moore said.

Mr Begley was then handcuffed and PC Moore said he later heard "laboured breathing".

"We sat him up straight away to see if there was an issue with him lying down. He was flicking in and out of consciousness."

'Golf ball' lump

Officers then took off his handcuffs, turned him over and began chest compressions while a policeman went to fetch a trauma kit from a squad car.

Mr Begley was also given oxygen and a defibrillator was used before paramedics arrived.

PC Moore said the officers also discussed the "golf ball sized" lump on Mr Begley's head, which he appears to have suffered during the incident.

The officer was not physically involved with restraining Mr Begley but said he had no concerns over his colleagues' conduct during the incident.

The inquest was adjourned until Thursday.

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