MAN SUES MET POLICE FOR £10M AFTER TASER INCIDENT LEAVES HIM PARALYSED

Leonard Sandiford is pursuing a £10 million compensation claim against the Metropolitan Police following an incident in April 2022 in which he was tasered by officers in east London. Mr Sandiford, now 65, fell approximately six feet from a shed roof after being struck with the Taser device, sustaining catastrophic back injuries that have resulted in paralysis. He was not charged or arrested in connection with the incident. His legal team characterises the use of force as "excessive and unjustified", arguing that PC Liam Newman discharged the Taser whilst Mr Sandiford was at height and attempting to leave the area.

According to court documents, officers attempted to stop Mr Sandiford on Chigwell Road, Woodford Bridge following a suspected burglary at a bookmakers' premises. Mr Sandiford's barrister, Richard Gregory, contends that the Taser discharge constituted assault and battery, and that the officer "could not reasonably have believed" the force was justified. The Metropolitan Police's legal representatives dispute this account, arguing that Mr Sandiford created a "fast-moving, high-pressure foot chase" by running when police attempted to stop him. The police also claim he was under the influence of drugs and had been attempting to burgle the premises. PC Newman was charged with assault following the incident but was acquitted in criminal court.

Mr Sandiford's injuries classified him as an incomplete tetraplegic, and he received specialist neurological treatment for over a year. The case represents a significant dispute over the proportionality of police use of force in the circumstances described.