FOUR POLICE officers beat and mocked a man suspected of being a terrorist who helped al-Qaeda, a court heard yesterday.
The Metropolitan Police officers were arresting Babar Ahmad in his London home when they administered “a very violent assault: in effect, they gave him a beating or they beat him up”, it was claimed.
The policemen were part of the Territorial Support Group, assisting the Anti-Terrorist Branch in taking Mr Ahmad into custody during a dawn raid on his home in Fountain Road, Tooting, south London, on December 2nd, 2003. The trial of the officers started yesterday.
The delays were caused by internal investigations, obtaining medical opinions and case reviews, Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting, told Southwark Crown Court. Mr Ahmad was never charged in relation to his arrest but is in custody awaiting extradition to America for alleged terrorism offences.
The British courts granted the extradition but Mr Ahmad appealed and the case has not been resolved, the jury heard.
The four accused are police constables Mark Jones, Roderick James-Bowen and Nigel Cowley, and Det Constable John Donohue. They deny the offence.
The officer smashed their way into Mr Ahmad’s home just after 5am. Before launching the raid, the officers were briefed that Mr Ahmad had received terrorist training and fought overseas in support of jihad – holy war.
“Dressed only in his pyjamas and barefooted, Mr Ahmad raised his arms above his head to indicate that he was not going to fight or to present any sort of danger or threat to the police.” Mr Laidlaw told the seven men and five women of the jury that the officers exceeded what was acceptable.
After an assault, the victim was allegedly taken downstairs to his prayer room and put in the position Muslims adopt to pray. Mr Laidlaw said the officers then asked: “Where is your god now?”
Mr Ahmad was put in a police van and driven to Charing Cross police station. “During that journey the assaults continued,” said the prosecutor. “When the victim arrived “battered and bruised”, the defendants pretended to the custody sergeant he had ressited violently. “It was a lie that all four defendants persist with to this day,” said the QC.