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Brixton 1985 police gun victim Cherry Groce inquest begins Brixton 1985 police gun victim Cherry Groce inquest begins
(about 3 hours later)
An inquest into the death of a mother whose shooting sparked the 1985 Brixton riots is due to start later. The son of a woman who was shot by armed officers during a police raid 29 years ago, has told an inquest jury how he was left "confused, shocked and traumatised" by the incident.
Cherry Groce was paralysed below the waist when she was accidentally shot by police seeking her son, Michael, during an early morning raid on her home. Cherry Groce was paralysed below the waist when she was accidentally shot by police seeking her son, Michael, during a raid on her home in 1985. She died in 2011.
She died in April 2011. Lee Lawrence, 39, gave Southwark Coroner's Court his account earlier.
Ministers overturned a decision to block legal aid for lawyers to represent Mrs Groce's family at the inquest after a petition attracted 130,000 signatures. The inquest is listed for eight days.
The Legal Aid Agency initially denied funding but referred the case to ministers following a campaign by her relatives and Labour MP Chuka Umunna. 'Serious deficiencies'
'Long fight' The inquest came about after documents obtained by Channel 4 News revealed a pathologist for the family and a pathologist for the police both concluded there was a causal link between the shooting and Mrs Groce's death.
Dozens of civilians and 10 police officers were injured in the unrest on the streets of Brixton, south London, following the shooting of Mrs Groce. Mr Lawrence and four other children were in the property in Brixton, south London, when it was raided in the early hours of 28 September, 1985.
The inquest comes after documents obtained by Channel 4 News revealed that a pathologist for the family and a pathologist for the police both concluded there is a causal link between the shooting and her death. He said he was sleeping in his mother's room when the front door was forced open.
Mrs Groce's son Lee Lawrence, who was 11 years old when he saw his mother shot, said: "We have fought long and hard to be heard and get answers." "I opened my eyes, saw a police officer holding a gun in his hand. My mother was on the floor and the officer was the pointing the gun at her neck," Mr Lawrence said.
"I heard her saying she could not feel her legs, she could not breathe and saying she was going to die."
The armed raid had "serious deficiencies", the inquest was told.
The conclusion was from a 357-page report at the time by Assistant Chief Constable West Yorkshire police John Domaille.
The jury heard there was a lack of information about the layout of the property and details about who was in there before the armed operation.
'Not reasonable'
Dexter Dias QC, for the Groce family, noted from the report: "The decision made to continue the operation was not reasonable.
"Grave risks were created both for the police and the public and these risks should have been avoided."
A major review of Metropolitan Police gun policy after the shooting led to a ban on CID detectives carrying firearms.A major review of Metropolitan Police gun policy after the shooting led to a ban on CID detectives carrying firearms.
Michael Groce was wanted in connection with an armed robbery, but was never charged over that or the subsequent riot.Michael Groce was wanted in connection with an armed robbery, but was never charged over that or the subsequent riot.
The inquest before Assistant Coroner Lorna Tagliavini at London's Southwark Coroner's Court is listed for eight days. Insp Douglas Lovelock, the marksman who shot Mrs Groce, stood trial in 1987 charged with inflicting unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm, and was acquitted.
The inquest before Assistant Coroner Lorna Tagliavini is expected to call more than 40 witnesses.