PC says he had 'lawful purpose' to hit autistic man

A former police officer who struck an autistic man on the head with a baton, causing him to bleed, has told a jury he had a "lawful purpose" to do so.

Shaun Elliott, 56, who was a serving Derbyshire Police constable at the time, told his trial at Derby Crown Court of his reasoning for hitting Kian Green, who he thought was going to bite his colleague at Buxton Police Station.

Elliott, who told the court he was trying to "neutralise the threat" from Green, denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

On Wednesday, Elliott told jurors he heard "screaming and mayhem in the background" when he was called to help officers detain Green at the police station on the afternoon of 30 December 2022.

The court heard Green, who has been diagnosed with autism, cerebral palsy and asthma, went to the police station voluntarily because he received a letter he wanted help with, before an officer decided he needed to be arrested based on information on the police computer.

Jurors heard Elliott was not told why Green, who was shouting and ended up on the ground, was being arrested.

Asked by defence barrister Adam King whether he felt angry or annoyed by Green when he arrived at the police station, Elliott said: "Not in any way, shape or form."

The defendant added: "He was being loud and noisy but he wasn't being threatening or trying to hurt anyone at this point."

Green was handcuffed, carried into a police van by officers before banging his head against the ground and ignoring the defendant's commands for him to "behave", the court heard.

Asked what his priority was, Elliott said: "[The] safety of my colleagues, safety of myself and the safety of Kian.

"We have a duty of care to him and we don't want him to hurt himself."

Elliott told jurors he thought at the time that Green's "manic behaviour" could have been caused by alcohol, drugs or his mental health.

King asked: "When he [Green] said 'go on Taser me, I'll get you done for it', did that induce any emotional state in you?"

The defendant, of Ashbourne in Derbyshire, replied: "No, it's just him venting his anger or whatever."

The court heard that in the police van, Elliott struck Green on the forehead with his extendable baton, causing blood to run down his face.

Elliott said he believed Green was going to bite his colleague PC Neil Palmer, who was searching him, because he grabbed hold of the officer's hand.

Asked by King if he wanted to teach Green a lesson, Elliott replied: "Absolutely not. My sole aim with the strike was to neutralise the threat and get Neil's hand free.

"Unfortunately, the only target area was to the forehead."

He added: "My lawful purpose was to stop the attack that was ongoing on Neil by Green. Ultimately, I succeeded - I got control and [got] him to safety."

Jurors were shown bodyworn camera footage which is said to show Elliott rolling his eyes.

The defendant said he was "not at all" frustrated, telling the jury: "It was freezing cold, Kian's not co-operating, we're searching him in the back of the van.

"It's not under control. I don't know what the expression was of the officer in the van - I was possibly communicating."

The former constable, who worked for the police for another three and a half years after the incident in non-public facing duties, has since retired, the court heard.

The trial continues.

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