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| G20 death: PC accepts it was 'wrong' to hit Tomlinson | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A PC accused of killing Ian Tomlinson accepts he was "wrong" to hit and push the newspaper seller, a court heard. | |
| PC Simon Harwood, 45, of south London, denies the 2009 manslaughter of Mr Tomlinson, 47, during the G20 protests. | PC Simon Harwood, 45, of south London, denies the 2009 manslaughter of Mr Tomlinson, 47, during the G20 protests. |
| The officer told Southwark Crown Court if he had realised Mr Tomlinson was walking away from police lines at the time he "would not have gone near him". | |
| Mr Tomlinson was hit with a baton and shoved to the ground before dying minutes later in the City of London. | Mr Tomlinson was hit with a baton and shoved to the ground before dying minutes later in the City of London. |
| Pc Harwood told investigators in 2009 that his actions had been justified based on the threat officers faced from the crowds. | |
| But cross-examining, Mark Dennis QC suggested to the officer that he had "made up" this state of mind for his defence. | |
| "When we look at that video, we are not looking at someone who is a greenhorn, attending his first incident of violence," said Mr Dennis. | |
| "No," said the officer. | |
| 'Shock at footage' | |
| Mr Dennis asked PC Harwood: "You do now accept that what you did in relation to Mr Tomlinson was wrong?" | |
| Harwood replied: "Like I said, now I do, but not at the time." | |
| He went on: "Now I've seen all the evidence and I know how poorly Mr Tomlinson was I'm sorry that I got involved, I shouldn't have hit him with a baton and pushed him." | |
| Earlier, PC Harwood told the jury of his "shock" and "horror" as he watched the footage of his push. | |
| Patrick Gibbs QC, defending, asked the officer what he had then felt. | |
| "Horror, to think it could be me and what it could lead to." | |
| "You looked at it and thought it was you?" asked Mr Gibbs. | |
| "Yes," replied Pc Harwood. | |
| "Did you want to believe it was you?" | |
| "No." |