Shock Police Chase Leaves Pensioner Paralyzed
Leonard Sandiford, 61, is now confined to a wheelchair after a dramatic police chase in Woodford Green, east London. The pensioner was Tasered by a Met officer and fell six feet from a shed, suffering a catastrophic spinal injury that left him tetraplegic, a court heard.
Met Officer on Trial Over Taser Attack
PC Liam Newman, 31, denies causing grievous bodily harm. Prosecutor Irshad Sheikh blasted the officer’s Taser use as “unreasonable” and unlawful. The risk of injury should have been obvious,” Sheikh told Southwark Crown Court, stressing Sandiford posed no threat justifying such force.
Moments Before the Fall: The Tragic Chase
- Sandiford was driving a white Ford van near a bookmakers when police tried to stop him on suspicion of attempted burglary.
- After raising his hands and exiting the van, he fled as PC Newman aimed the Taser.
- Sandiford climbed onto a shed but was struck twice by the Taser, losing muscle control and crashing down six feet.
Victim Breaks Silence from Hospital Bed
“I remembered running from police and something hit my neck or back. Then my lights went out. I woke up in hospital about two months later,” Sandiford told jurors. He denied any burglary involvement and said he ran out of fear, having promised his kids he wouldn’t end up back in prison.
The gripping trial continues as jurors decide if PC Newman’s actions were justified or criminally reckless in this heartbreaking case.
