Connect with us

Published

on

Two police officers who pepper-sprayed and tasered a 92-year-old disabled man at a care home have been cleared of assault.

PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel Comotto went on trial over the incident involving Donald Burgess, a single-leg amputee and wheelchair user.

The officers were accused of using excessive force on Mr Burgess during a confrontation at Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, on 21 June 2022. The pair had denied the charges.

Donald Burgess, 93, suffered from dementia and had one leg. Pic: PA
Image:
Donald Burgess. Pic: PA

A jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court found 51-year-old Smith not guilty of two counts of assault for using Pava spray and a baton.

Comotto, 36, was found not guilty of one count of assault for deploying her Taser.

The care home had called emergency services after Mr Burgess reportedly threatened to stab staff with a knife he was given to cut his food.

Care home manager Steve Cooper previously told the court that workers had been under threat for more than 30 minutes before they decided to phone 999.

Mr Cooper said: “He was very aggressive and threatening to hurt my members of staff. He had a look in his eyes I’ve never seen before – he wasn’t the Donald I knew.”

Mr Burgess jabbed the knife towards the manager and told him: “I’m going to murder you, and I’ll enjoy it,” according to Mr Cooper.

Mr Burgess’s knife movements were described as “extremely quick” by deputy care home manager Donna Gardner, the court earlier heard.

Within less than a minute and a half of going into Mr Burgess’s room, Smith sprayed synthetic Pava pepper spray into the pensioner’s face and used his baton to try and knock the knife out of his hand, while Comotto deployed her Taser.

Judge Christopher Hehir told the jury: “The reason for his behaviour that day, we now know, is that he was delirious as a result of a urinary tract infection.”

Following the incident, Mr Burgess was taken to hospital and he later got COVID-19. He died about three weeks after that.

The jurors took around two hours to reach their verdicts on the two Sussex Police officers.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Continue Reading

UK

Man, 53, charged over Liverpool parade incident

Published

on

By

Man, 53, charged over Liverpool parade incident

A 53-year-old man has been charged after a car was driven into a crowd at Liverpool FC’s trophy parade.

Paul Doyle, from the West Derby area of Liverpool, has been charged with seven offences, Merseyside Police said.

The businessman, who is a father-of-three, is accused of two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and two counts of causing unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Paul Doyle
Image:
Paul Doyle

Doyle is also accused of two counts of attempted unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and one count of dangerous driving.

He is due to appear before Liverpool Magistrates Court on Friday.

The charges relate to six people, including two children. A wounding charge and an attempted grievous bodily harm charge relate to a child.

A police car was outside Doyle’s four-bedroom detached family home in the West Derby area on Thursday morning.

According to his social media, he has travelled extensively including Japan, Fiji, India and Australia. Doyle has posted pictures of himself competing in triathlons, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

New Liverpool incident footage

Thousands of fans were gathered in Liverpool city centre on Monday to celebrate the Premier League champions’ title win when a car struck a crowd on Water Street.

Police said a total of 79 people were injured in the incident, with the youngest aged nine, and the oldest being a 78-year-old.

Seven people remain in hospital in a stable condition.

Forensic officers at the scene in Water Street. Pic: PA
Image:
Forensic officers at the scene in Water Street. Pic: PA

‘Huge volume of evidence’

Chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Mersey-Cheshire, Sarah Hammond, told a news conference on Thursday that the investigation was at an early stage and a “huge volume of evidence” was being reviewed.

“This includes multiple pieces of video footage and numerous witness statements. It is important to ensure that every victim gets the justice they deserve.

“The charges will be kept under review as the investigation progresses.”

Police ‘working tirelessly’

Also at the briefing where the charges were announced was Assistant Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Jenny Sims, who said: “I fully understand how this incident has left us all shocked and saddened, and I know many will continue to have concerns and questions.

“Our detectives are working tirelessly, with diligence and professionalism, to seek the answer to all of those questions. When we are able to, we will provide further information.”

Continue Reading

UK

Body found in search for missing teenage girl who fell into reservoir

Published

on

By

Body found in search for missing teenage girl who fell into reservoir

A body has been found in the search for a missing teenage girl who fell into a reservoir, police have said.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed they recovered a body from the Baitings Reservoir, near Ripponden, on Thursday afternoon.

A formal identification is yet to take place, but police believe the body to be that of the missing teenage girl.

The girl’s family have been informed.

Emergency services were called to the reservoir at 1.17pm on Wednesday following reports that a teenage girl had fallen into the water from Baitings Dam.

Police, fire and ambulance crews, as well as an underwater search team, were deployed to the scene for the search, which continued on Thursday until a body was found.

Read more from Sky News:
Age range of Liverpool crash victims released
Drought declared in North West England

Detective Inspector Laura Hall of Calderdale’s Safeguarding Team said: “While formal identification is yet to take place, the girl’s family have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers.

“My thoughts go out to her family and friends at this very sad time.

“Our enquiries are continuing into the death in order to establish exactly what happened yesterday, but we do not believe it to be suspicious.”

Continue Reading

UK

Ages of youngest and oldest Liverpool crash victims released

Published

on

By

Ages of youngest and oldest Liverpool crash victims released

The youngest victim injured in the Liverpool parade crash on Monday is nine years old, police have said.

They added that the oldest is 78, with all 79 people injured understood to be British. Seven remain in hospital in a stable condition.

Merseyside Police declined to say what drug the 53-year-old man arrested over the incident is alleged to have taken.

“We wouldn’t go into this detail at this stage of the investigation,” the force said.

Police guards the site where a 53-year-old British man plowed a minivan into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans who were celebrating the city's Premier League championship Monday, injuring more than 45 people in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, May 27, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Image:
Police at the scene in Liverpool. Pic: AP

Forensic officers at the scene in Water Street.
Pic: PA
Image:
Forensic officers in Water Street. Pic: PA

Police are still questioning the driver and were granted further time to do so on Wednesday.

Officers have until Thursday evening to question the man from West Derby.

He is in custody on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and drug driving.

Police believe the car which struck pedestrians was able to follow an ambulance crew attending to someone suffering a heart attack after a road block was temporarily lifted.

Hundreds of thousands of Liverpool fans had turned out to celebrate their team’s Premier League title when the incident unfolded on Water Street just after 6pm on Monday.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘My boy in his pram, got bounced’

‘The best day of my life turned into worst’

Sky News interviewed a lifelong Liverpool fan who said his five-month-old son was “bounced” 15ft (4.6m) in his pram after they were hit by the vehicle.

The child was not counted in the police’s injury tally.

Daniel Eveson, 36, also said his partner had been driven over.

“The best day of my life turned into [the] worst,” Mr Eveson said.

He added: “Me and my partner were flat on the roof, on the bonnet… we were just both trying to hold on for dear life with Ted next to us.

“And my partner went under the wheels of the car, of the front of the car, and it rolled over her leg, and I just bounced off to the side, but my boy and his pram got bounced totally in the opposite direction – about 15ft down the road.”

Read more:
How the parade crash unfolded
Police given more time to question Liverpool suspect
Why police released ‘unprecedented’ details

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Liverpool to meet with police chiefs and the local metro mayor.

He said he was being kept informed of developments, adding: “The scenes on Monday were just awful, to see how incredible joy at an amazing achievement turned to horror in a moment.”

Messages of support have been sent to the people of Liverpool, including from the King who said: “I know that the strength of community spirit for which your city is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales said they were “deeply saddened” by the incident.

Continue Reading

Trending