A man allegedly beaten, stabbed and slammed into a filthy toilet bowl by off-duty police officers caused his own injuries by smashing up the cubicle, defence lawyers suggested.
Jack Bennett, now 21, was cross-examined by barristers representing four accused Merseyside Police constables at Preston Crown Court today. Lawyers suggested he had told a "pack of lies" and tried to "portray himself as a victim" to avoid getting into trouble for smashing a glass over the head of one of the officers during a brawl at Ava's Bar, Liverpool City Centre, on July 28, 2020.
The prosecution case is that PCs Sean Miley, 31, and Paul Grimes, 37, subjected Mr Bennett to a "sustained" beating in a toilet cubicle, which involved Miley stabbing him in the leg with a shard of porcelain from the broken toilet. While that was happening, it is alleged PC John Thompson, 26, acted violently in the main bar area towards Mr Bennett's older brother, Mark Bennett, while PC Lucy Donaldson, 40, was violent towards bar worker Lorraine Brady, grabbing her hair.
