Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Mathilde Grandjean

Officer who used spray on amputee, 92, did not see he was disabled, court told

Stephen Smith Donald Burgess Rachel Comotto East Sussex Sussex Police
Pc Stephen Smith denies two counts of assault (Yui Mok/PA) - (PA Archive)

A 92-year-old amputee who threatened to stab care home staff had “ample opportunity” to drop his knife before officers sprayed and tasered him, a court has heard.

Pc Stephen Smith, 51, faces trial alongside his colleague Pc Rachel Comotto, 36, for allegedly using excessive force on Donald Burgess during an incident at Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, in June 2022.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Woman orders a Whopper and a Whopper Jr. at a mall Burger King. Then she sees the $30 total and shows the camera the tray: ‘This is crazy’
She showed everything that came with it.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
'I didn't know this place existed': Britney Spears enjoys family day at Dollywood
Britney Spears enjoyed a visit to Dollywood with her two sons - but admitted she hadn't been aware the theme park "existed" before their trip.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
How Jim Bakker became the Johnny Carson of Christian TV
When I was researching my 2017 book, “PTL: The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Evangelical Empire,” I interviewed dozens of former staffers and supporters of PTL, the ministry, television and theme park empire that the Bakkers built starting in the 1970s.
The Conversation
The Conversation
GTA 6 Full Nudity and Censorship Updates: Quick Facts on Jason and Lucia in the Upcoming Release
An IGN gameplay demonstration showed GTA VI protagonist Jason naked in a shower, while official ratings confirm nudity and sexual content. The extent of explicit imagery remains unclear
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Nearly Two in Three Students Who Vape Use Geek Bar as 1.44 Million U.S. Youth Report E-Cigarette Use
About 1.44 million U.S. students vape, and 64% of them use Geek Bar, a new 2025 youth survey analysis shows. Here is what parents should know now.
Medical Daily
Medical Daily
Kourtney Kardashian had fiery response to that viral Jennifer Lawrence video
Kourtney Kardashian was furious after seeing a video of Jennifer Lawrence calling her "more annoying than ever".
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play