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| Simon Harwood held his head in his hands after watching video, trial told | Simon Harwood held his head in his hands after watching video, trial told |
| (9 months later) | |
| The policeman accused of killing Ian Tomlinson during the G20 protests in London in 2009 held his head in his hands when he realised he was the officer shown in a video of the incident, a court has heard. | The policeman accused of killing Ian Tomlinson during the G20 protests in London in 2009 held his head in his hands when he realised he was the officer shown in a video of the incident, a court has heard. |
| PC Simon Harwood's notes of his actions during the protests made no specific mention of his encounter with Tomlinson, Southwark crown court was told. Harwood recorded only that he used his baton on "a number of protesters". | PC Simon Harwood's notes of his actions during the protests made no specific mention of his encounter with Tomlinson, Southwark crown court was told. Harwood recorded only that he used his baton on "a number of protesters". |
| Harwood, a member of the Metropolitan police's elite Territorial Support Group (TSG) public order unit, stared at the ground upon seeing the footage and told a senior officer he thought the video showed him. | Harwood, a member of the Metropolitan police's elite Territorial Support Group (TSG) public order unit, stared at the ground upon seeing the footage and told a senior officer he thought the video showed him. |
| "I'm not chomping, I think it's me," Harwood said, using a TSG slang word for joking, according to Inspector Timothy Williams, who led Harwood's unit on the day and was also his welfare officer at the time. | "I'm not chomping, I think it's me," Harwood said, using a TSG slang word for joking, according to Inspector Timothy Williams, who led Harwood's unit on the day and was also his welfare officer at the time. |
| Harwood is accused of killing 47-year-old Tomlinson, who was attempting to find a way through police lines to the hostel where he lived on the evening of 1 April 2009, a day that had seen widespread disorder in London's financial district. | Harwood is accused of killing 47-year-old Tomlinson, who was attempting to find a way through police lines to the hostel where he lived on the evening of 1 April 2009, a day that had seen widespread disorder in London's financial district. |
| Footage shot by an American man who was in London on business showed a riot officer striking Tomlinson on the back of the legs before shoving him hard to the ground. Tomlinson was walking away from the advancing line of police at the time. The prosecution alleges that the fall caused internal bleeding associated with Tomlinson's liver, which killed him. | Footage shot by an American man who was in London on business showed a riot officer striking Tomlinson on the back of the legs before shoving him hard to the ground. Tomlinson was walking away from the advancing line of police at the time. The prosecution alleges that the fall caused internal bleeding associated with Tomlinson's liver, which killed him. |
| Williams told the court he had been unaware of Harwood's interaction with Tomlinson until a week later, on 8 April, when the video appeared on a newspaper website and on TV. At the time, Williams said, he believed the footage showed an officer with less training in public order duties than his team had, due to the way the officer acted. | Williams told the court he had been unaware of Harwood's interaction with Tomlinson until a week later, on 8 April, when the video appeared on a newspaper website and on TV. At the time, Williams said, he believed the footage showed an officer with less training in public order duties than his team had, due to the way the officer acted. |
| That lunchtime Harwood was in Williams's office at the TSG base in Catford, south London, Williams told the court. "I said: 'Have you seen the footage?' He said: 'No.'" | That lunchtime Harwood was in Williams's office at the TSG base in Catford, south London, Williams told the court. "I said: 'Have you seen the footage?' He said: 'No.'" |
| The video then played on TV again. Williams said: "I watched it and he said to me that he thought he was the officer concerned." Harwood "had his head in his hands" and was looking at the ground, apparently horrified, Williams said. | The video then played on TV again. Williams said: "I watched it and he said to me that he thought he was the officer concerned." Harwood "had his head in his hands" and was looking at the ground, apparently horrified, Williams said. |
| In the week between the protest and the emergence of the video, Harwood had not mentioned what happened with Tomlinson, Williams said. "He never spoke to me about it." | In the week between the protest and the emergence of the video, Harwood had not mentioned what happened with Tomlinson, Williams said. "He never spoke to me about it." |
| The court heard extracts from Harwood's notes, written later in the evening on 1 April, which made no mention of Tomlinson. Harwood wrote of becoming separated from the van he was designated to drive after trying to arrest a man writing graffiti on another police vehicle, and joining other officers in a pedestrian passageway by the Royal Exchange building. There, the notes say, Harwood encountered significant violence from protesters and helped a police line clear the area. He struck "a number of protesters" with his baton to remain safe. | The court heard extracts from Harwood's notes, written later in the evening on 1 April, which made no mention of Tomlinson. Harwood wrote of becoming separated from the van he was designated to drive after trying to arrest a man writing graffiti on another police vehicle, and joining other officers in a pedestrian passageway by the Royal Exchange building. There, the notes say, Harwood encountered significant violence from protesters and helped a police line clear the area. He struck "a number of protesters" with his baton to remain safe. |
| Harwood then wrote: "I do not know how many people I struck, but done so in order to prevent any further rioting and preserve my own safety." | Harwood then wrote: "I do not know how many people I struck, but done so in order to prevent any further rioting and preserve my own safety." |
| On 16 April, after it had become clear the officer in the video was him, Harwood handed in a prepared statement to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. He described his actions on the day as "necessary, proportionate and reasonable" given the public order situation and said he had limited recollection of his "brief, almost momentary" interaction with Tomlinson. | On 16 April, after it had become clear the officer in the video was him, Harwood handed in a prepared statement to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. He described his actions on the day as "necessary, proportionate and reasonable" given the public order situation and said he had limited recollection of his "brief, almost momentary" interaction with Tomlinson. |
| Williams was asked at length by Mark Dennis QC, prosecuting, whether it was proper police procedure to strike or shove a protester who might be walking away from police lines. Williams said it depended on the situation. "It's very hard to answer a hypothetical situation," he said. | Williams was asked at length by Mark Dennis QC, prosecuting, whether it was proper police procedure to strike or shove a protester who might be walking away from police lines. Williams said it depended on the situation. "It's very hard to answer a hypothetical situation," he said. |
| Harwood, 45, from Carshalton, Surrey, denies manslaughter. The trial continues. | Harwood, 45, from Carshalton, Surrey, denies manslaughter. The trial continues. |
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