A GREAT granddad who was Tasered and punched by cops before they forced their way into his home has said he is suing the force.
The bricklayer from Kent is pursuing £25,000 after officers pushed their way into his property in an attempt to evict him.
SWNSCops forced their way into Bob White’s Sheerness home in 2019[/caption]
SWNSHe has now revealed he plans to sue Kent Police for thousands[/caption]
Bob White, 62, was Tasered twice and punched in the head by cops as they entered his home in Sheerness, in 2019.
He is now taking Kent Police to court, with a five-day civil trial set to begin at Canterbury County Court on Monday.
Six years ago, the grandfather barricaded himself inside his home before officers, bailiffs and a locksmith arrived with a county court warrant to evict him from his home, reports KentOnline.
The eviction was due to a dispute over mortgage payments.
Footage from the scene shows police smash the bottom half of his door, before forcing their way inside and restraining Mr White.
One officer then proceeded to Taser him, while another grabbed and punched him in the face several times.
The grandfather can also be seen holding a wooden club.
Police claimed that he was behaving in an aggressive manner and swinging a 3ft piece of timber at them when they entered – which Mr White denied.
Body-worn footage shows Mr White moments later sitting on the floor in handcuffs while covered in blood.
He was soon after arrested and charged with affray, but was unanimously cleared of any wrongdoing by a jury in 2022.
Judge David Griffith-Jones QC ruled that the officers from Kent Police had entered his home unlawfully and that he was within his rights to defend his home during the incident.
Now, Mr White is determined to hold the cops to account for the incident.
He told KentOnline that all he wants from the force is an apology.
He said: “I will never give up until I get justice and they take accountability.”
He explained that if he got only got £1 from the judge and the police admitted they were in the wrong, then he would be happy.
SWNSBob White was unanimously cleared of any wrongdoing by a jury in 2022[/caption]
SWNSHe now hopes the police will take accountability and apologise for the incident[/caption]
The bricklayer will be representing himself and has said he is fighting the case in honour of his late wife Irene, who died four months after the incident.
In the wake of his eviction and arrest, Mr White stayed with his mother before eventually being able to return to the house.
He was not able to proceed with his civil claim until 2022 because of the ongoing criminal proceedings.
Mr White has shared that if his civil claim is successful, he intends to pursue criminal proceedings against the officers involved.
Addressing the jury in 2022, he said: “My life has been on hold for three years while this came to court.
“It’s been like a prison sentence itself.
Speaking after the verdict, Mr White added: “I went through this for all the other people who are being wrongfully evicted by police.
“I hope this sets a precedent for other people to challenge unlawful evictions.
“It’s not just a physical struggle for people facing similar circumstances to me but a mental one.
“People in the same situation have ended up killing themselves over the stress from it.
“I just hope this case will help someone in the same situation as me. The officers and police need to be held to account for this.”
A Kent Police spokesperson confirmed that the force is defending a civil claim but said it would be inappropriate to comment until the end of the trial.
What are your eviction rights?
According to housing charity Shelter, landlords and letting agents must follow correct procedures to evict tenants.
Currently, landlords have to give you 14 days notice before serving you an eviction notice period.
Once you’ve been served this eviction notice, you have a two-month period before court action can be started against you.
After this period is up, your landlord has four months to take you to court.
But it’s an illegal eviction if your landlord or anyone acting on their behalf:
forces you to leave by threatening or harassing you
kicks you out or uses physical force to make you leave
stops you from getting into parts of your home
changes the locks while you’re out
If your landlord does take you to court, you could also end up being liable for some of the costs
Also, charities like Shelter and Citizens Advice might also be able to offer some assistance.
Legal aid could also help if you have a serious housing problem.
If you are on benefits or have a low income you could get:
telephone advice from civil legal advice
an appointment with a legal advisor or solicitor
help at a possession hearing from a court duty advisor
You can also get help with stopping or delaying eviction, court action for mortgage repossession and illegal eviction and harassment.
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