British police officer convicted of killing ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson
- Benjamin Monk was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter following the altercation in Telford, Britain in 2016
- Monk used a Taser repeatedly during the incident and kicked Atkinson in the head, a court heard
A British police officer who tasered ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson and kicked him twice in the head was Wednesday convicted of manslaughter but cleared of murder in a verdict labelled “historic” by campaigners.
Jurors at Birmingham Crown Court took nearly 19 hours to reach unanimous verdicts on Benjamin Monk, who said he was put in fear of his life by the actions of the former player on August 15, 2016.
Jurors are still deliberating on an assault charge relating to Monk’s colleague and former girlfriend, police constable Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith.
Atkinson was a high-profile forward for Premier League side Aston Villa in the early 1990s and also played for Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich and Real Sociedad.
Monk told the court he ran in fear after Atkinson, who appeared to be having a mental health crisis, made death threats and smashed a glass door pane at his childhood home in the town of Telford, about 30 miles (48 kilometres) from Birmingham, central England.
The 43-year-old officer with West Mercia Police said the former Premier League star was trying to get up when he aimed kicks at his shoulder in lawful self-defence as a last resort, after running out of Taser cartridges.