UK: Verdict on police shooting due

[Oldbillplod]

A police officer who shot dead a man carrying a table leg that was mistaken for a gun is to learn whether he has succeeded in a bid to overturn an inquest verdict that the death was an "unlawful killing".

Harry Stanley, 46, a painter and decorator from Hackney, east London, was shot in the head and hand by police marksmen on September 22, 1999.

Two Metropolitan Police officers fired the shots after wrongly being informed that Mr Stanley had a sawn-off shotgun.

Neil Sharman, a police inspector - now a chief inspector - shot Mr Stanley in the head with a pistol, instantly killing him.

PC Kevin Fagan also opened fire, wounding Mr Stanley in the left hand.

The father-of-three was carrying a blue plastic bag with a coffee table leg inside.

The unlawful killing verdict was recorded after the coroner ruled he was satisfied there was some evidence upon which a jury could be sure to the criminal standard that the officers did not honestly and reasonably believe that it was necessary to shoot Mr Stanley to defend themselves.

But lawyers for Chief Inspector Sharman argued at the High Court that the coroner had been wrong as there was evidence that the officers had "an honest belief" they were in danger.

[fatboyjim154]

Looks like the unlawful killing verdict has been overturned and the officer vindicated. Waiting for the TV news to confirm it.

direct link.

It's been confirmed.

A police marksman who shot dead a man carrying a table leg which was mistaken for a gun has won his bid to overturn an inquest verdict of "unlawful killing".

Mr Justice Leveson has ruled there was "insufficient evidence" to support such a verdict.

Police inspector Neil Sharman, now a chief inspector, shot painter and decorator Harry Stanley, 46, of Hackney, east London, in the head with a pistol, killing him instantly, on September 22 1999.

PC Kevin Fagan also opened fire, wounding Mr Stanley in the left hand as he walked home from the Alexandra pub in Hackney. The two officers had been wrongly informed that Mr Stanley had a sawn-off shotgun.

Mr Leveson said: "Whether or not a misunderstanding on the part of the officers may be justifiable, they did in fact misunderstand Mr Stanley's reaction and, as a result, he lost his life. This is not a situation which can be allowed to be repeated."

The father of three, who was originally from Lanarkshire, Scotland, was carrying a blue plastic bag with a coffee table leg inside, which had just been repaired by his brother Peter.

[Oldbillplod]

Hot off the press

A police marksman who shot dead a man carrying a table leg which was mistaken for a gun has won his High Court bid to overturn an inquest verdict of "unlawful killing".

A judge ruled there was "insufficient evidence" to support such a verdict.

But Mr Justice Leveson added: "Whether or not a misunderstanding on the part of the officers may be justifiable, they did in fact misunderstand Mr Stanley's reaction and, as a result, he lost his life.

"This is not a situation which can be allowed to be repeated."

Harry Stanley, 46, a painter and decorator of Hackney, east London, was shot in the head and hand on September 22 1999.

Two Metropolitan Police officers fired the shots after wrongly being informed that Mr Stanley had a sawn-off shotgun.

Police inspector Neil Sharman, now a chief inspector, shot Mr Stanley in the head with a pistol, killing him instantly.

Pc Kevin Fagan also opened fire, wounding Mr Stanley in the left hand as he walked home from the Alexandra pub in Hackney.

The father of three, who was originally from Lanarkshire, Scotland, was carrying a blue plastic bag with a coffee table leg inside, which had just been repaired by his brother Peter.

[Wombat311]

Good. It's sad that the wrong information was passed to the police, but 'unlawful killing' would have been nonsense. They didn't just pick him out at random and fire off a couple of zingers.