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| G20 Tomlinson death: PC 'sobs in court' | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A PC in court accused of killing Ian Tomlinson at the 2009 G20 protests in London has broken down in tears. | |
| Earlier, PC Simon Harwood, 45, of south London, said he was "wrong" to push Mr Tomlinson, 47, but denied manslaughter. | |
| His tears came minutes after his cross-examination, in which the prosecution said he bore "full responsibility" for the newspaper seller's death. | |
| 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 Southwark Crown Court that if he had realised Mr Tomlinson was walking away from police lines at the time he "would not have gone near him". | |
| At the end of a day of questioning, PC Harwood briefly began sobbing. His wife, looking on from the public gallery, also began to cry loudly and had to be comforted by a supporter. | |
| Mr Justice Fulford asked the officer if he was alright to carry on, and PC Harwood breathed deeply before replying that he was. | |
| PC Harwood told investigators in 2009 that his actions had been justified based on the threat officers faced from the crowds. | PC Harwood told investigators in 2009 that his actions had been justified based on the threat officers faced from the crowds. |
| He denied having a "strike first, ask questions later" mentality and said he had been terrified of the demonstrators. | |
| But cross-examining the officer, Mark Dennis QC suggested to the Met Police 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. | "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. | "No," said the officer. |
| 'Shock at footage' | 'Shock at footage' |
| Mr Dennis asked PC Harwood: "You do now accept that what you did in relation to Mr Tomlinson was wrong?" | Mr Dennis asked PC Harwood: "You do now accept that what you did in relation to Mr Tomlinson was wrong?" |
| PC Harwood replied: "Like I said, now I do, but not at the time." | PC 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." | 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." |
| Looking at a photograph of Mr Tomlinson, who was an alcoholic and slept rough for a number of years, PC Harwood said he would rank him as an eight out of 10, where 10 was a fully fit person. | Looking at a photograph of Mr Tomlinson, who was an alcoholic and slept rough for a number of years, PC Harwood said he would rank him as an eight out of 10, where 10 was a fully fit person. |
| Mr Tomlinson's family walked out of court as the officer went through a list of his options when he came across the 47-year-old. | Mr Tomlinson's family walked out of court as the officer went through a list of his options when he came across the 47-year-old. |
| He listed using a baton, a push, kicks, punches, CS spray, handcuffs, his voice or firearms. | He listed using a baton, a push, kicks, punches, CS spray, handcuffs, his voice or firearms. |
| Mr Dennis asked PC Harwood: "You have to be aware that the person you are dealing with may, for example, have a frailty?" | Mr Dennis asked PC Harwood: "You have to be aware that the person you are dealing with may, for example, have a frailty?" |
| He replied: "Yes." | He replied: "Yes." |
| Mr Dennis told PC Harwood he had adopted a "strike first, ask questions afterwards" approach. | Mr Dennis told PC Harwood he had adopted a "strike first, ask questions afterwards" approach. |
| He then went through footage of the lead-up to PC Harwood's interaction with Mr Tomlinson, asking the officer how he could have believed there was a riot going on near the Royal Exchange Buildings at the time. | He then went through footage of the lead-up to PC Harwood's interaction with Mr Tomlinson, asking the officer how he could have believed there was a riot going on near the Royal Exchange Buildings at the time. |
| PC Harwood said: "That's what I could see, that's what I remember, that's what I believed I was dealing with." | PC Harwood said: "That's what I could see, that's what I remember, that's what I believed I was dealing with." |
| The prosecutor said: "I suggest you're not telling the truth at all when you say 'what I saw at the time', and this is your last line of defence now that you've been caught out on video acting improperly." | The prosecutor said: "I suggest you're not telling the truth at all when you say 'what I saw at the time', and this is your last line of defence now that you've been caught out on video acting improperly." |
| PC Harwood replied: "No, I disagree." | PC Harwood replied: "No, I disagree." |
| The officer said he had a "brief second to assess and react" to Mr Tomlinson. | The officer said he had a "brief second to assess and react" to Mr Tomlinson. |
| Prosecutors claim that PC Harwood's "blood was up" after he tried and failed to arrest a protester for scrawling graffiti on a police carrier. | Prosecutors claim that PC Harwood's "blood was up" after he tried and failed to arrest a protester for scrawling graffiti on a police carrier. |
| Mr Dennis asked: "Was the blood still up then?" | Mr Dennis asked: "Was the blood still up then?" |
| "I don't remember my blood being up, no, I was acting professionally," PC Harwood replied. | "I don't remember my blood being up, no, I was acting professionally," PC Harwood replied. |
| Jurors were shown footage of him shoving another protester minutes before coming across Mr Tomlinson, who he said was obstructing police. | Jurors were shown footage of him shoving another protester minutes before coming across Mr Tomlinson, who he said was obstructing police. |
| 'Always in fear' | 'Always in fear' |
| Mr Dennis said Harwood could not have been in fear for his safety when he tried to arrest the graffiti protester. | Mr Dennis said Harwood could not have been in fear for his safety when he tried to arrest the graffiti protester. |
| PC Harwood responded: "I'm in fear every time I go to work so that's not strictly true. I'm always in fear when I do my job." | PC Harwood responded: "I'm in fear every time I go to work so that's not strictly true. I'm always in fear when I do my job." |
| "It didn't feel safe, I was absolutely terrified and just wanted to get away." | "It didn't feel safe, I was absolutely terrified and just wanted to get away." |
| PC Harwood added that he had initially not made a note about the force he had used against Mr Tomlinson as he had not remembered the incident. | PC Harwood added that he had initially not made a note about the force he had used against Mr Tomlinson as he had not remembered the incident. |
| "I just didn't remember it happening as with other things that happened that day," he told the court. | "I just didn't remember it happening as with other things that happened that day," he told the court. |
| Earlier, PC Harwood told the jury of his "shock" and "horror" as he watched the footage of his push. | 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. | 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." | "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. | "You looked at it and thought it was you?" asked Mr Gibbs. |
| "Yes," replied PC Harwood. | "Yes," replied PC Harwood. |
| "Did you want to believe it was you?" | "Did you want to believe it was you?" |
| "No." | "No." |