Paul Morgan claimed the police also accused him of having too much to drink
The moment Paul Morgan was detained following the incident
A man claimed police officers “manhandled” him and pushed his head against the back of a van following an incident at B&M. Paul Morgan told the ECHO that police officers were called to the B&M on Utting Avenue following a confrontation between himself and a security guard in the store.
Mr Morgan, of Walton, who has cerebral palsy, was handcuffed and put into the back of a police van before being driven back to his bungalow. But the 57-year-old claimed the officers were “heavy-handed”, accused him of “watching too much Tommy Robinson” and suspected he had too much to drink because he walks with a limp as a result of his disabilities.
Mr Morgan said he has cerebral palsy and has had a weakness down the left side of his body since birth. He is also medicated because of epilepsy which means he could have a seizure at any time. Because of his disability, he added, he walks with a limp.
But speaking to the ECHO he added: “I have learned to live with it. It’s not going to get better, it is only going to get worse. I don’t wear anything around my neck about my disability. I’m too proud for that. I try and get on with my life. I like to live my life the best I can.”
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police told the ECHO: “We can confirm that a complaint has been received in relation to this matter and as such we are not in a position to comment further.”
Paul Morgan pictured at home in Walton(Image: Iain Watts)
Mr Morgan said because of the medication he takes he can sometimes become confused and claims last year he accidentally walked out of the B&M store without paying for some items. He added this led to him being banned from the store for 12 months and his face being added to FaceWatch – a security system that safeguards businesses against crime.
Mr Morgan said on June 25 he went back to the store and asked to speak to the manager to tell them his ban was coming to an end, but claims the security guard said no. He told the ECHO: “I said to him ‘come on kid, this is England, there are rules’ and he took that as a racist comment.
“The police came and I tried to have my say but they pinned my arms behind my back, put the handcuffs on and held me against the van. They had my head pushed up against the back of the van.”
The ECHO understands the police were called because Mr Morgan had verbally threatened the security guard. Mr Morgan disputes this. The ECHO also understands that the security guard in question did not want further action taken against Mr Morgan which led to him being de-arrested.
The ECHO has seen video footage of the moment that three police officers detained Mr Morgan. In the footage it appears that one of the officers has his hand on the back of Mr Morgan’s head with the detained man’s face pressed against the van. The person filming the video can be heard shouting for officers to get off him, while Mr Morgan screams.
Paul Morgan pictured at home in Walton(Image: Iain Watts)
Mr Morgan claims that one of the officers told him he had been watching “too much Tommy Robinson”. Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is a far-right activist who previously founded the English Defence League (EDL). However, the ECHO understands the officer claims to have said “too much television”.
The Walton man continued: “They drove away and I thought I was going to a police station but when they opened the back door I was outside my front door. There wasn’t a step down so they told me to jump out. I jumped out and one of the officers said ‘you have managed to jump there, maybe we should be in contact with PIP’.
“They basically manhandled me. I could have had a seizure. I did not react, I did not resist arrest. I did shout a bit. It took three of them to put a disabled man in a van. I’m not a violent man, I get on with a lot of people.”
Paul Morgan pictured at home in Walton(Image: Iain Watts)
Mr Morgan told the ECHO that since the incident he has gone to the walk-in centre and hospital relating to injuries he claims were sustained during the detention. GP notes seen by the ECHO show that he complained of bruising, pain to his head, back and neck, a “throbbing headache” and blurred vision.
But he said the impact of the officers alleged actions had also had a deep-rooted emotional impact on him – particularly his claims that the officers said he had too much to drink. “This happens all the time,” he said. “I don’t go to clubs anymore because the bouncers say I have had too much. I walk a bit unsteady. When I asked for my inhaler from my bag they should have seen my medication as well.”
Mr Morgan added he no longer drinks or smokes because of his condition and the actions and comments of the police had “set him back”. He is now exploring a complaint with the force. He claimed: “It has taken my character away. They bullied me something ruthless.”