Dalian Atkinson: 'Traumatised' witness thought ex-footballer was dead

Former Aston Villa striker Dalian Atkinson died due to cardio-respiratory arrest in 2016 in Telford, Shropshire, at the age of 48

A witness has told a trial she feared ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson had died after a police officer repeatedly "stamped" on his head.

The former Aston Villa star died in 2016 after a stand-off with police outside his father's home in Telford.

PC Benjamin Monk is accused of murder, while his colleague PC Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith is charged with assault.

Neighbour Jean Jeffrey-Shaw told Birmingham Crown Court she felt "traumatised" by what she witnessed.

The prosecution alleges PC Monk murdered Mr Atkinson on 15 August 2016 by kicking him in the head, intending serious harm, while PC Bettley-Smith struck blows to his body with a baton out of anger.

"One of the officers was saying 'keep your head down' and was stamping on his head," Mrs Jeffrey-Shaw told the jury on Thursday.

"One time he was knocking him so hard I had to look away. I couldn't stand it. He went boom, boom, boom.

"I said to my husband 'he's not moving, why is he telling him to keep his head down?'"

At the time, she said she was unaware it was Mr Atkinson lying on the floor. The 48-year-old later died in hospital from cardio-respiratory arrest.

Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith (L) and Benjamin Monk (R) are on trial at Birmingham Crown Court

Mrs Jeffrey-Shaw also said the female officer, who struck Mr Atkinson with a baton, appeared to be frightened.

"After he was stamping on the head, the lady was panicking but the other officer was calm," she told the court.

Asked by prosecution QC Alexandra Healy if she had seen any movement from the man while he was on the ground, Mrs Jeffrey-Shaw replied: "No, that's why I said he was dead."

Under cross-examination, Patrick Gibbs QC, representing PC Monk, asked if the neighbour had mistaken two kicks to the head for stamping.

Mr Gibbs said: "A suggestion I have is that the officer has not stamped down with the sole of his boot, but he has kicked Dalian in the forehead with the front of the boot, with the laces?"

'Violent stamping'

Mrs Jeffrey-Shaw said: "He was stamping. He was putting his foot down. I had to look away, it was too much for me."

Another witness, Melanie Stanton described seeing what she thought was a police officer making a "really violent stamping action" after Mr Atkinson was Tasered.

Dalian Atkinson started his career at Ipswich Town before moving to Sheffield Wednesday, Real Sociedad, Aston Villa and Fenerbahçe

The court earlier heard the former footballer - who had also played for Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday - had arrived at his father's home in Meadow Close, Telford, in the early hours behaving erratically and shouting.

It prompted neighbours to phone police.

The jury was told Mr Atkinson's father Ernest had since died, but a statement he had made to police at the time was read out in court.

In it, he said his son had arrived "pounding" at his door claiming to be the "Messiah" and threatening to kill him and his own brothers.

'Not in right mind'

He also described being grabbed around the throat and pushed into a chair before his son asked why the family was plotting to kill him.

"Ernest had never seen his son like this before," junior prosecution counsel Paul Jarvis told the court.

"Ernest told the police that, in his view, his son had not been in his right mind that morning."

After police officers arrived, believing they would calm his son down, Ernest Atkinson described going to the back of the house.

Soon afterwards Mr Jarvis said he was informed his son was "fine", but "in an ambulance on the way to hospital".

"A short time later a police officer came into Ernest's kitchen to tell him his son had died."

PC Monk, 42, denies murder and manslaughter. PC Bettley-Smith, 31, denies assault.

The trial continues.