Police officer who killed Dalian Atkinson jailed for eight years

PC Monk sentenced to eight years for manslaughter

The police officer who killed former footballer Dalian Atkinson has been jailed for eight years. PC Benjamin Monk was charged with manslaughter last week after he kicked Atkinson in the head while he was on the floor. [caption id="attachment_278348" align="alignnone" width="924"] Dalian Robert Atkinson was an English footballer who played as a striker. During his club football career, he played in England for Ipswich Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Manchester City.[/caption] Judge Melbourne Inman QC sentenced the 43-three-year old PC at Birmingham crown court on Tuesday. He is the first officer in Britain to be convicted of manslaughter in thirty years.

PC Benjamin Monk had denied murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter after being involved in an incident with Atkinson in August 2016.

The 43-year-old officer was cleared of murder by the jury following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court, but was found guilty of manslaughter. Monk had denied any wrongdoing and said he believed there had been a danger to life. It is the first time an on-duty officer has been found guilty of manslaughter in the last 50 years. Prosecutors in the trial had argued that Monk used unlawful and unreasonable force out of anger as he fired his taser at Atkinson for 33 seconds before kicking him in the head.