Police 'assaulted autistic man with cerebral palsy', court hears

An autistic man with cerebral palsy was assaulted by two police officers after he tried to 'chat them up' in a gay bar, a court has heard.

Zach Gell, 27, and Matthew Muskett, 25, are said to have 'grabbed and pushed' Sam Connor in the incident at the Liverpool bar, which happened just two days before the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest was staged in the city.

Manchester Magistrates' Court heard how Mr Connor, 27, had been on a night out with three friends in May, 2023, and had visited the village set up for the event.

Later on, they had gone to Dorothy's Showbar, which features resident DJs and drag acts.

Ms Ludlow, prosecuting, said Mr Connor had approached a group of men inside the bar and started a conversation with them before going the toilet.

There was a 'further conversation between the parties', she said, and it's alleged the two officers - who were off duty - then assaulted him before he was forced to leave.

It's alleged Gell 'grabbed' Mr Connor and Muskett - who'd brandished his warrant card - 'grabbed and pushed' him.

Ms Ludlow said the force used by the officers was 'not reasonable' as Mr Connor had not shown any criminal intent and the incident could have been reported to security staff.

CCTV played to the court showed the two officers confronting him near the stairs of the venue.

Words were exchanged and one of Mr Connor's friends had tried to intervene by explaining to the officers that he had cerebral palsy before he left the bar.

Giving evidence, Mr Connor, who is also autistic and has ADHD, said it had been his first time in a gay bar and he had approached a group of four men because 'he had wanted to go and chat up guys' in the hope of starting a relationship.

He said he had gone back to the table where his friends were before going the toilet, where he had again chatted to some of the men in the group.

They all left the toilet and Mr Connor said one of the men had showed him what he believed was a 'fake' warrant card and 'grabbed' him by the arms and had 'tried to force' him out of the pub.

Mr Connor admitted he had drunk four pints of cider that night but 'wasn't drunk' and had 'done nothing' to provoke the incident.

He also claimed that one of the men had told him he was just 15.

They had come out of the toilet, he said, when the 'the men circled round me and grabbed my arms and pulled me towards the door.'

The incident had left him 'scared', he said, and the men had never revealed they were police officers.

Maria Brannon, defending Muskett, asked Mr Connor whether his ADHD or autism affected his behaviour and he admitted he could be 'loud' and 'direct' with people he really liked.

He admitted he had felt 'confused' when one of the men - Muskett - told him he was 15 but denied replying: 'I don't mind.'

Mr O'Connor also denied standing next to the two officers as they used the urinals in the toilet.

Ms Brannon claimed Muskett had not pushed him but merely 'put his hands' on his chest.

But Mr O'Connor denied this, saying: 'I did not expect to be attacked by police officers.'

He added: 'I have never been more scared in my life.'

Rachael White, defending Gell, suggested Mr Connor had 'tried to run off' and that's why the officer had held him by the right arm, which he denied.

But he admitted that it was his friends who had urged him to make a complaint of assault.

Gell, of Little Sutton, Wirral, and Muskett, of Eastham, Wirral, both deny a charge of common assault.

The trial - due to last two days - continues.