Dalian Atkinson death: police officer charged with murder is named
Judge lifts anonymity order on PC Benjamin Monk over death of former footballerA police officer charged with murdering the former footballer Dalian Atkinson has been named as PC Benjamin Monk.
An order protecting his identity was lifted at Birmingham crown court on Wednesday by Judge Simon Drew QC after a challenge by media organisations.
The Crown Prosecution Service last week announced a murder charge against a police constable from the West Mercia force over Atkinson’s death.
Monk, 41, has been charged with murder, which carries a sentence of life imprisonment, and also faces an alternate charge of manslaughter.
A second officer, PC Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, 29, was also named by the CPS on Wednesday as the officer charged with assault causing actual bodily harm. She had also initially been granted anonymity.
Atkinson, who played for teams including Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday, died aged 48 after a fracas outside his father’s home in Telford, Shropshire, in the early hours of 15 August 2016. A stun gun and other force were used on the former footballer during the incident.
The officers, who are both from Shropshire, were present at the hearing at which their lawyers agreed that anonymity could not be justified, but argued that their home addresses should not be revealed.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/nov/13/dalian-atkinson-police-officer-charged-murder-named