Armed police tasered ‘murderer’ then battled to save victim in his Norwich flat

A police forensics van at Dolphin Grove where a man was seriously assaulted. Photo: Luke Powell (Image: Archant)

PC Daniel Letort, an armed response officer, told a jury at Norwich Crown Court on Monday (November 18) how he and a colleague rushed to James Greene's flat at Dolphin Grove after an emergency call.

PC Letort said they saw Peter Bruton coming out of the bathroom, and Mr Greene, 39, was lying on the floor in the lounge.

He said initially 27-year-old Bruton did not do anything and "sort of froze".

The court heard the officers kept calling him and telling him to "show his hands". Bruton then lowered his hands towards his pockets and at that point PC Letort said his colleague "discharged his taser".

But the officer said the taser was ineffective and he moved forward to "try and get compliance from him". He said: "I took hold of him and took him to the ground."

Mr Greene died at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Thursday, June, 6, following an attack at his flat on June 4.

Bruton, who was a lodger at the flat, is on trial accused of the murder of Mr Greene, which he denies.

PC Letort went on to tell the court that Bruton was handcuffed in the bathroom where he was kept for about an hour while officers and medical teams battled to save Mr Greene.

PC Letort told the jury his colleague had told him "I don't think this chap (Mr Greene) is breathing".

PC Letort went to get life-saving equipment from his car, and chest compressions were carried out before paramedics arrived.

He said Bruton was not taken out of the flat and arrested until after Mr Greene had been attended to and taken to hospital.

He said "there were so many people in the room we couldn't get to Mr Bruton".

He said they would not have been able to get him out of the flat without "carrying him over Mr Greene".

The trial continues.