Ian Tomlinson inquest continues
Day two of the inquest into the death of the newspaper seller after he was struck by police during the G20 protests in London in 2009
11.56am: This relates to an incident several minutes before Tomlinson's encounter with PC Harwood. Tomlinson was trying to find a way past police cordons. We have already heard he was standing in the middle of the road on Lombard Street and had to be moved off the road. PC Edwards was driving the police carrier that Tomlinson was inadvertently blocking.
11.53am: First witness PC Gareth Edwards, a Met van driver who encountered Tomlinson in Lombard Street. He has taken the stand now.
11.51am: Apologies for false-start. Jury is now in the room.
Those of you particularly interested in this inquest should know it has its own website, with regularly updated transcripts from each day's hearings.
It is the same template used at the recent inquest into the 7/7 London bombings. Slowly too slowly the courts and coroners are becoming more transparent.
11.10am: We're off. Day 2 of the Ian Tomlinson inquest is under way. We're running a bit late this morning due to the legal argument, which I am not allowed to report.
Here is a recap of what happened yesterday:
The inquest into the death of Ian Tomlinson opened. Judge Peter Thornton QC has said that PC Simon Harwood, the officer who struck Tomlinson before he died is not on trial. But he said that the Crown Prosecution Service decision not to prosecute him could be reviewed.
Thornton anticipated that the cause of Tomlinson's death would be an issue of "controversy" during the next five to six weeks. Specifically, he referred to the divergent medical opinions provided by three pathologists Dr Freddy Patel, who concluded he had died of coronary heart disease, and Dr Nat Cary and Dr Kenneth Shorrock, ! who said he died of internal bleeding.
Jurors were shown detailed footage of Tomlinson's last moments alive. The key footage that was shown was the same video, shot by a New York investment fund manager, that was released by the Guardian six days after the death. You can watch the video here.
A compilation of video footage was also shown of PC Harwood's movements. It revealed how he had a physical altercation with at least one protester in the minutes leading up to his encounter with Tomlinson. He was filmed attempting to arrest a protester and dragging him off into a crowd.
A number of witnesses have given evidence. They included Tomlinson's widow, Julia, and stepson, Paul King, who described him as a loving father who struggled to overcome his problem with drink. Other witnesses included Barry Smith, who owned the Evening Standard newspaper stand where Tomlinson worked, and two police officers who encountered an "intoxicated" Tomlinson as he tried to get through cordons.
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