PC who hit ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson guilty of gross misconduct

A PC who repeatedly struck ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson connected the nighttime helium was killed by her workfellow has been recovered blameworthy of gross misconduct.

Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith deed the erstwhile Aston Villa striker six times with her baton arsenic helium laic connected the crushed successful 2016.

She was acquitted of existent bodily harm astatine proceedings but the constabulary watchdog called for a gross misconduct hearing.

After a four-day case, the sheet decided the West Mercia Police serviceman utilized excessive force.

Mr Atkinson died aft being tasered and kicked successful the caput extracurricular his father's location successful Telford, Shropshire.

PC Bettley-Smith's workfellow and partner, PC Benjamin Monk, was jailed for manslaughter successful 2021.

The sheet antecedently heard however the officers had responded to a 999 telephone and arrived to find Mr Atkinson appearing "in the grip of a psychotic episode".

PC Bettley-Smith initially struck Mr Atkinson 3 times, which the sheet agreed were lawful.

But it recovered a further 3 strikes were "unnecessary, disproportionate and unreasonable successful each the circumstances and truthful unlawful".

The sheet is present acceptable to perceive grounds connected whether the 33-year-old, who was a probationary serviceman astatine the time, should beryllium allowed to support her occupation oregon look a lesser authorisation aboriginal connected Friday.

Mr Atkinson died aft being Tasered and kicked astatine slightest doubly successful the caput by Monk, who was a much experienced officer.

The sheet was told PC Bettley-Smith utilized her baton connected him, claiming she "perceived" helium was trying to get up.

However, respective civilian witnesses recalled the 48-year-old "was not moving" and "was not resistant".

The autarkic tribunal decided she had acted wrongly erstwhile she struck him again aft constabulary back-up arrived.