An innocent man was kicked, stamped and beaten i

An innocent man was kicked, stamped and beaten in the back of a
police van while being racially abused, the Old Bailey heard on Monday.

Harold Benn, 25, emerged from the short journey so badly beaten
that a WPC who had seen him just a few minutes before barely
recognised him, the jury was told.

WPC Georgina Christaforou later said she was ‘sickened’ by seeing
PCs Alec Mason, 28, and Gavin Larter, 24, attack Mr Benn, who had been
arrested on suspicion of stealing a car.

PC Mason later allegedly approached the WPC and told her she had
been ‘written out’ of notes of the van journey, which all the officers
wrote together.

The car turned out to be Mr Benn’s own.

He complained to senior
officers that he had been assaulted and found the WPC and another
officer was willing to back his claim.

PCs Mason and Larter and Special Constable Kevin Lucking were all
arrested.

They all deny perverting the course of justice.

PCs Mason and
Larter further deny assaulting Mr Benn, causing in actual bodily harm.

The court was told Mr Benn, of Mitcham, had been driving his Volvo
estate along Garratt Lane, Tooting, in the early hours of Saturday
January 6 1990 when he was stopped for allegedly going through a red
light.

He given a breath test, which proved negative, said Mr
Brendan Finucane, prosecuting.

‘PC Toby Fletcher felt Mr Benn could not properly account for his
ownership of the car.

‘They decided it might well have been stolen and decided to arrest
him on suspicion.

‘Things then deteriorated.

It was clear Mr Benn did not want to go
with them and made it patently clear.

He was physically restrained.

‘
The officers called for assistance and soon the area was swarming
with 15 additional officers from eight squad cars, the jury heard.

Mr Benn, by then handcuffed, was put on to the floor of a police
van with PCs Mason, Larter and Fletcher and Special Constable Lucking.

‘When he was put in the van, he alleged he had been assaulted by
officers.

‘None of those officers have been identified.

‘Mr Benn said he was then subjected to a vicious assault, with
kicking and punching while a foot was placed on his windpipe.

He
almost passed out.

‘The left hand side of his face was stamped on several times and
was subjected to racial remarks as to his skin colour and origin and
that he should respect the police.

‘PC Larter said his watch strap had been broken and he would “do
him” for criminal damage.

‘The allegation is that it was PC Mason who stamped on his face and
made racial remarks.

‘The journey only lasted two to three minutes.

‘
WPC Christaforou was sitting beside the driver with a clear view of
the back of the van, Mr Finucane said.

‘She saw Mr Benn’s head being stamped on at least five times while
PC Larter placed his foot on his neck.

‘She pushed PC Mason away, having been sickened by what she had
seen.

She made it quite clear that she didn’t like what was happening.

‘At Tooting Police station when she opened the rear doors of the
van, she saw Mr Benn’s facial injuries and was very angry.

‘She could not believe it was the same man because she could not
believe the extent of the injuries he had sustained.

‘
Inside the police station, the custody sergeant noted Mr Benn’s
injuries and sought medical help, counsel said.

‘It became apparent that Mr Benn did indeed own the vehicle and
after 75 minutes in custody, he was released without charge.

‘He made a complaint to a senior police officer.

‘
Afterwards, he went to two doctors to get further medical evidence
and had photos taken of his black eye and cuts.

Meanwhile, WPC Christaforou was so sickened by the incident that
she went to another police station.

She was tracked down there by PC
Mason.

‘There was a conversation about the consequences of Mr Benn’s
arrest.

‘She claims that he told her she had been written out ot it and she
did not appear in the notes.

‘
The WPC took it to mean that there was nothing wrong with what had
happened in the back of the van, the jury heard.

Over the following weeks, the police station buzzed with stories
about the incident, the court heard.

‘WPC Christaforou and SPC Lucking decided to see their divisional
officer.

‘They were unhappy about what had happened in the back of the van.

‘
SPC Lucking said he had seen PC Mason kick at Mr Benn four times but
had not seen any involvement by PC Larter, counsel said.

‘He admitted that the notes he had written were false because they
omitted any reference at all to the assault.

‘
SPC Lucking said all the officers in the back of the van had
gathered later that night to write their notes.

Instead of noting the assault on Mr Benn, they alleged that he had
tried to bite the officers’ legs, counsel said.

When he questioned the version being written ‘all he got was stares
of, he thought, disbelief,’ Mr Finucane said.

‘He felt very intimidated.

‘
PC Larter claimed Mr Benn had tried to bite him and said WPC
Christaforou had not been in the van.

PC Mason also claimed Mr Benn had tried to bite him and said he had
pushed the suspect’s head towards the floor of the van three times out
of fear for his own safety.

He claimed Mr Benn was already injured before he got into the
van.

‘He said reasonable force had been used to restrain a violent man
and nothing happened out of the ordinary.

‘
He also said the WPC had been facing forward the whole time.

PCs Mason and Larter and SPC Lucking were all accused of perverting
the course of justice for allegedly writing false notes.

PC Mason faces another accusation of perverting the course of
justice for allegedly trying to dissuade WPC Christaforou from getting
involved.

He and PC Larter also face charges of assaulting Mr Benn, causing
him actual bodily harm.

All three officers deny the charges.

The trial continues.

ENDS