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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Robert Dalling & Ryan Merrifield

Mum of ex-soldier Tasered by police while covered in blood slams inquest into death

The heartbroken mum of a vulnerable ex-soldier who was Tasered by police while covered in blood says she is unsatisfied with the findings of an inquest into his death.

Margaret Beynon believes she will now "never find closure" in relation to Spencer Beynon's passing.

The 43-year-old former servicemen was suffering from PTSD when officers were called to reports of a man in distress.

They arrived at the scene in Maes y Bwlch, Llanelli, in 2016 to find Mr Beynon near his home covered in blood having slashed his neck with a broken bottle, reports WalesOnline.

During the incident, he moved towards an officer - which was perceived as a threat - and was Tasered by now-former PC Oliver West.

Margaret and Chris Beynon pictured at the grave of their son (Rowan Griffiths)

Mr Beynon had served in Iraq and Afghanistan before being discharged.

His inquest concluded that he died as result of misadventure.

Following the end of the coroner-led probe, The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) also published details about its investigation into Mr Beynon's death.

It found no case to answer for misconduct against any Dyfed-Powys Police officer.

Mrs Beynon said: "I'm horrified at the conclusion. I felt the questions we wanted asked were never asked.

Spencer was discharged from the services with PTSD (MSM)
Margaret said she will never have closure (Rowan Griffiths)

"We feel we have so many unanswered questions as a family. We can't come to terms with the way it's been left.

"No, I don't want another inquest, I want my son to rest in peace, but we don't feel we have had justice.

"Waiting all this time for the inquest to come to a conclusion has been horrendous. We've had six inquests. There were four or five pre-inquests. Our lives are destroyed.

"Spencer is the first thing on my mind in the morning, all through the day, and the last thing on my mind at night.

Llanelli soldier Ryan Francis (right) pictured with fellow town soldier Spencer Beynon (Copyright Unknown)

"I always say goodnight to him. It's gone so bad, I don't want to talk to people. I'm at the grave all the time.

"If Spencer had died in Afghanistan, maybe I could have lived with it, and we would always miss him, but the way in which he died was horrendous.

"He was a soldier who was so brave, and those who served with him have said they would walk over hot coals to follow him. To think he was shot [Tasered] on the streets of Llanelli.

"The last thing he saw when he died was a gun [Taser].

"I'll never make peace with it. To lose a child is the worst thing in the world, but to lose him in that way. It's terrible.

"It has broken a part of me. We're just not the same people anymore. It's gone on for seven years. It has taken its toll on this family without a shadow of a doubt."

At the inquest into Mr Beynon's death Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire's acting senior coroner, Paul Bennett, had asked the jury to consider if it was reasonable for PC West to use the Taser.

But he didn't question whether its use had contributed to Mr Beynon's death.

On November 11 the jury found by a majority of 10 to one that it was reasonable as Mr Beynon had moved towards the officer who perceived that action as a threat.

A pathologist had earlier told the inquest he had found no evidence the use of a Taser caused Mr Beynon to have a cardiac arrest.

Jurors were told an examination of Mr Beynon's body found a partially severed jugular vein in a wound on his neck. The inquest heard he died from neck injuries and blood loss.

As well as the inquest, the IOPC carried out an investigation into the handling of a phone call from Mr Beynon's father to Dyfed-Powys Police that morning which expressed concern for his son’s welfare.

Mr Beynon's death was ruled as misadventure (MEDIA WALES)

The IOPC's probe found that "officers faced a dynamic situation" that evening when responding to calls about a man, later identified as Mr Beynon, who had smashed a window and was acting erratically in the street.

A spokesman said: "The police officer who Tasered Mr Beynon said he did so for his own safety, and the safety of other officers and members of the public.

"It was noted that there were varying eye-witness accounts as to whether Mr Beynon was moving and the extent of any movement immediately before the Taser discharge.

"The investigation found that the officer's stated belief that Mr Beynon was moving towards him was both genuinely held and reasonable in the circumstances.

"The investigation found that there was insufficient evidence to bring any disciplinary proceedings against the officer."

The investigation did conclude that the call could have been given a higher response grading than "scheduled", and that more information could have been logged on police systems.

After liaison with Dyfed-Powys Police, it was agreed there was insufficient evidence to bring any disciplinary proceedings against the call handler.

They are now retired and received a detailed debrief from Dyfed-Powys Police regarding their handling of the incident.

Mr Beynon had a daughter, Tori, and son Jacob. He had served as a sergeant in the 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh.

In all he served for 15 years in the forces, in Hong Kong, and Northern Ireland, helping to build a school in Jamaica, part of the United Nations Honour Guard, in South Korea, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and was a British Army advisor on terrorism to the Australian army.

He was also a drill instructor in charge of Canadian armed forces. He was comrades with the late Ryan Francis, who died in a roadside bombing in Iraq in 2007.

Mrs Beynon wished to make it clear that her family did not intend to take civil action against Dyfed-Powys Police.

She also said they were unsatisfied with the misadventure conclusion.

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