Latest news with #StLeonards
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
St Leonard's tower blocks residents concerned over redevelopment
Residents in four East Sussex tower blocks that are due to be demolished have voiced concerns over where they will be Housing plans to redevelop Four Courts in Stonehouse Drive, St Leonards, a 1960s social housing scheme comprising Bevin Court, Roosevelt Court, Kennedy Court and Churchill Eastwood, who moved in to her flat 27 years ago, described the situation as "very upsetting".A Southern Housing spokesperson said the provider remained "strongly committed" to supporting residents throughout the transition. Residents held a meeting on Saturday to discuss future Eastwood said she needed help each day from her daughter, who lives down the said she was worried about where she would move to and "didn't understand it all"."It's devastating, I love my flat," she Housing said nine households had already moved into permanent new homes, with residents of Bevin Court the first to be Bevin Court resident had a dedicated resettlement officer and every household received one-to-one visits, it added. Simon Lee is one of those who has been relocated and said he was happy with his new flat but said he had a friend who was "distraught"."I think they have massively underestimated the social impact this is having on people," he redevelopment is estimated to take around 12 years, and is needed due to "the significant shortcomings of the existing blocks", according to the housing association."Many homes lack proper accessibility, presenting real challenges for those with mobility needs," a spokesperson said."We've carefully considered all options and believe this is a unique opportunity to create new, high-quality social homes that better serve the needs of current and future residents. "We encourage any resident with concerns or questions to get in touch with our team so we can continue to provide the support they need."
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Sussex police officers cleared of assault against one-legged 92-year-old man
Two police officers who used a Taser and synthetic pepper spray on a one-legged 92-year-old man in a care home have been cleared of assault but will now face gross misconduct hearings. PC Stephen Smith, 51, and PC Rachel Comotto, 36, were found not guilty of assaulting Donald Burgess during a confrontation at Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, in June 2022. Jurors returned their unanimous verdicts at Southwark crown court after around two hours of deliberations on Wednesday. Speaking outside court afterwards, Sussex police's assistant chief constable, Paul Court, said the officers will face gross misconduct proceedings. 'I recognise and understand the impact that this case has had on public confidence. It is with profound regret this happened,' Court said. 'The officers in this case have been held accountable to a criminal threshold and we respect the jury's decision. While this concludes the criminal investigation, both officers will now face gross misconduct proceedings.' Jurors found Smith not guilty of two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for his use of Pava spray and for using a baton, while Comotto was found not guilty of one count for deploying her Taser. The care home called 999 after Burgess, a single-leg amputee and wheelchair user, reportedly grabbed a knife he was given to cut his food and threatened to stab staff. The court previously heard this was 'out of character' for Burgess. 'The reason for his behaviour that day, we now know, is that he was delirious as a result of a urinary tract infection,' Judge Hehir told jurors. Smith sprayed synthetic Pava pepper spray into Burgess's face and used his baton to try to knock the knife out of Burgess's hand, with Comotto deploying her Taser, all within a minute and 23 seconds of entering the pensioner's room, the court heard. Burgess was taken to hospital after the incident and later contracted Covid, dying 22 days later aged 93. The court heard both Smith and Comotto repeatedly asked Burgess to drop the knife. Smith told jurors he did not see that Burgess was disabled and using a wheelchair until after the incident as he was focused on the knife the pensioner was holding in his hand. He added he believed Burgess 'could clearly understand what we were saying to him'. Comotto said she believed using the Taser was the safest way to 'protect' Burgess as she feared her colleague using the baton again would cause more harm. 'I'm not a trigger-happy officer,' she told the court. 'It's the first time I've fired my Taser.' The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it would liaise with Sussex police about the misconduct hearings now criminal proceedings are over. It said both officers should face a gross misconduct hearing for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour relating to use of force, and authority, respect and courtesy, with Comotto facing a further misconduct allegation relating to comments she made on social media after the incident.
Telegraph
28-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Police who pepper-sprayed and Tasered pensioner face sack despite being cleared
Two police officers who Tasered and pepper-sprayed a one-legged pensioner face being sacked despite being cleared of assault. Pc Stephen Smith, 51, and Pc Rachel Comotto, 36, were accused of using excessive force on Donald Burgess during a confrontation at the Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, in June 2022. On Wednesday, jurors found Pc Smith not guilty of two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, while Pc Comotto was found not guilty of one count for deploying her Taser. But Asst Chief Constable Paul Court, who spoke outside Southwark Crown Court following the verdicts, said the officers would be facing gross misconduct proceedings. Police were called to the care home after Mr Burgess reportedly grabbed a knife he was given to cut his food and threatened to stab staff. Within 83 seconds of entering his room, Pc Smith sprayed synthetic Pava pepper spray into Mr Burgess's face and used his baton to try and knock the knife out of Mr Burgess's hand, with Pc Comotto deploying her Taser. Mr Burgess was taken to hospital after the incident. He later contracted Covid and died 22 days later, aged 93. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said that both officers should face a gross misconduct hearing for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour relating to use of force, and authority, respect and courtesy. Pc Comotto faces a further misconduct allegation relating to comments she made on social media after the incident. The watchdog said it would liaise with Sussex Police about the misconduct hearings now that criminal proceedings were over. The court previously heard what happened was 'out of character' for Mr Burgess, whose movements with the knife were described by Donna Gardner, the deputy care home manager, as 'extremely quick'. 'The reason for his behaviour that day, we now know, is that he was delirious as a result of a urinary tract infection,' judge Christopher Hehir told jurors. Steve Cooper, the care-home manager, had previously told jurors Mr Burgess had been threatening staff for more than 30 minutes with a serrated knife before they decided to call 999. 'He was very aggressive and threatening to hurt my members of staff,' he said. 'We tried to use different de-escalation techniques. He wasn't responding to anything we said. He had a look in his eyes I've never seen before – he wasn't the Donald I knew.' He said Mr Burgess jabbed the knife towards him and told him: 'I'm going to murder you, and I'll enjoy it.' The court heard both Pc Smith and Pc Comotto repeatedly asked Mr Burgess to drop the knife, with Pc Smith warning him: 'Put the knife down, mate, or you will be sprayed or Tasered. That's up to you.' 'Did not see he was disabled' Footage from body-worn cameras played to the jury during the trial showed Pc Smith then discharging the spray directly into Mr Burgess's face. Mr Burgess then raised the knife a couple of times as Pc Smith uses his baton to try and get the knife out of his hand. When this failed, Pc Comotto deployed her Taser. Pc Smith previously told jurors he did not see that Mr Burgess was disabled and using a wheelchair until after the incident as he was focused on the knife the pensioner was holding. He added he believed Mr Burgess 'could clearly understand what we were saying to him' as he reportedly asked 'Are there many more of them coming?' – suggesting he was aware Pc Smith and Pc Comotto were police officers. During his evidence, Pc Smith also denied hitting Mr Burgess with a baton, claiming he instead flicked the baton towards the pensioner's wrist to 'knock the knife out' of his hand. Pc Smith said: 'The way he had been threatening staff members – the threat was the knife, to the staff there and also to himself. I just wanted the knife out of the gent's hand.' During her evidence, Pc Comotto said she believed using the Taser was the safest way to 'protect' Mr Burgess as she feared her colleague using the baton again would cause more harm. She added she knew from her training the risk of injury to Mr Burgess was higher with a baton than with a Taser. She said: 'It was proportionate because other tactics had failed. If I didn't act, something worse could happen. I'm not a trigger-happy officer. It's the first time I've fired my Taser.' Emily Barry, the IOPC director, said: 'Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the family of Donald Burgess. We know this case – including the police body-worn footage that was released during the trial – has caused understandable concern in the community. 'It was right that the evidence was put before a jury so the officers could be held accountable and we respect the jury's decision.'
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Jury deliberate on Sussex police officers use of force on amputee
The jury in the trial of two police officers accused of using excessive force against a 92-year-old amputee have begun their Stephen Smith, 51, and Rachel Comotto, 36, have denied using excessive force on Donald Burgess at Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East care home called 999 in June 2022 after Mr Burgess, a single-leg amputee and wheelchair user, reportedly grabbed a knife and threatened to stab Burgess was taken to hospital where he contracted Covid and died 22 days later, aged 93, but the officers are not being held responsible for his death. Judge Christopher Hehir, summarising the evidence on at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, told jurors: "The reason for his behaviour that day, we now know, is that he was delirious as a result of a urinary tract infection."PC Smith sprayed synthetic Pava pepper spray into Mr Burgess's face and struck his wrist with a baton, with PC Comotto deploying her Taser, all within a minute and 23 seconds of entering the pensioner's room, the court was Smith denies two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for his use of Pava spray and for using a baton, while PC Comotto denies one count related to her use of a Taser on Mr Hehirsaid jurors should reach their decision "with their heads, not their hearts". Prosecutors claim the force used against Mr Burgess, who had been reportedly waving a serrated cutlery knife around and telling staff he would "take pleasure" in murdering them, was "unjustified and unlawful" given his age and physical Smith previously told jurors he did not see that Mr Burgess was disabled and using a wheelchair as he was focused on the knife the pensioner was holding in his his evidence, he denied emptying a full can of Pava in Mr Burgess's face, saying it was "a short burst".He also denied hitting Mr Burgess with a baton, claiming he instead flicked the baton towards the pensioner's wrist to "knock the knife out" of his her evidence, PC Comotto said she believed using the Taser was the safest way to "protect" Mr Burgess as she feared her colleague using the baton again would cause more harm."I'm not a trigger-happy officer," she told jurors."It's the first time I've fired my Taser."
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
PCs used force on St Leonards amputee and 'asked questions later'
Two police officers who pepper-sprayed and Tasered a 92-year-old amputee chose to "use force first and ask questions later", a jury has Stephen Smith, 51, and Rachel Comotto, 36, deny using excessive force on Donald Burgess at Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, in June care home had called 999 after Mr Burgess, a single-leg amputee and wheelchair user, reportedly grabbed a knife and threatened to stab staff, Southwark Crown Court was the incident, Mr Burgess was taken to hospital and later contracted Covid. He died 22 days later. The court heard that PC Smith allegedly emptied a full canister of synthetic Pava spray into Mr Burgess' face and struck him with a baton, with PC Comotto deploying her Taser – all within one minute and 23 seconds of entering the wheelchair-bound pensioner's Paul Jarvis said: "Time, we suggest, was not against the defendants in this case, it was very much in their favour, but the approach which they chose to take was use force first and ask questions later."He added: "We suggest that those features of the case and their behaviour upon arrival at the care home that day tell you something important about their intentions not to try and gather information, but to try and resolve it as quickly as possible."PC Smith denies two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for his use of Pava spray and for using a baton, while PC Comotto denies one count related to her use of Taser on Mr Burgess. PC Comotto said she believed using the Taser was the safest way to "protect" Mr Burgess."I honestly believed the Taser was necessary," she previously told the jury."It was proportionate because other tactics had failed. If I didn't act, something worse could happen."Mr Jarvis told jurors during his closing speech that the officers had failed to gather information about the situation before entering Mr Burgess' said: "It didn't have to happen that way. It was not forewritten that the officers had to use the force that they did."Neither was it inevitable that because one type of force was used and didn't succeed, there had to be another, and another." PC Smith previously told jurors he did not see that Mr Burgess was disabled and using a wheelchair as he was focused on the knife the pensioner was holding in his said he only realised Mr Burgess was an amputee after the incident, when he was wheeled out of the to body-worn footage of the incident played in court during the trial, Mr Jarvis asked jurors: "How credible do you think is that testimonial?"You have watched the video, you have seen it. We are talking about something that is happening right in front of his eyes and he claims not to have seen it."If he was the obvious question is, how could you imagine that he (Mr Burgess) was a threat to you or you colleague if he cannot stand up?" The prosecution argued PC Smith resorted to using his Pava spray and then his baton on Mr Burgess "not because he had an instinctive feeling that there was need to use force to protect other people or Mr Burgess, but because he had had enough of it".The trial continues.
