A vulnerable disabled man who was murdered in a vigilante attack had complained to police for years that he was being racially abused, threatened and assaulted, a jury has heard.
But Bijan Ebrahimi was categorised in official police logs as a “repeat complainer” and as “antagonistic and trouble-making”. Officers were advised to work in pairs when they had dealings with him so they could corroborate each other’s account of what was said and done.
Ebrahimi, 44, was punched and kicked to death outside his home in Bristol by a neighbour who wrongly believed he was a paedophile and had been taking photos of local children. His body was then set on fire.
Three police constables and a community support officer are accused of failing to deal with Ebrahimi’s complaints that he feared for his life in the 48 hours before the fatal attack.
PC Kevin Duffy, 52, PC Helen Harris, 40, PC Leanne Winter, 38, and police community support officer Andrew Passmore, 55, all deny misconduct in public office.
The prosecution claims that the three constables let their dislike of Ebrahimi influence their approach to his case.
At the start of his defence case, Duffy, who was a community beat manager in Brislington, described a string of contacts with Ebrahimi over five years.
But he insisted he felt no dislike for Ebrahimi. “There was no animosity,” he told the court. “I was dealing with him in a professional way.”
Duffy said he first came upon Ebrahimi in 2007 – six years before the murder. A woman claimed Ebrahimi had harassed her. Duffy arrested Ebrahimi and he was warned about his alleged behaviour.
The constable said he next encountered him in June 2009 after Ebrahimi, who was originally from Iran, reported being attacked in a racially aggravated assault outside a pub.
The court heard that Ebrahimi said he had been pushed against a wall and punched, with one of the attackers telling him: “We’re English, we’re special. You’re not special, you’re foreign.”
The claims were investigated but no evidence of the attack could be found and Ebrahimi withdrew the complaint. He told police it would “make things worse” if he pursued it.
Later that summer, the court heard, Ebrahimi told police he was racially abused at a shop. Again, police investigated the incident but witnesses refuted his version of events.
In a police log at this time, Ebrahimi was described as having an “antagonistic and trouble-making” approach. In a note from the hate crime unit, officers were advised to always work in pairs with Ebrahimi.
In 2010 Ebrahimi reported that a neighbour had threatened to shoot him following a row over a dog. In the log for this incident, Duffy described Ebrahimi as a “known and repeat complainer”.
Duffy was again involved in June 2012 when Ebrahimi said he had been called a “foreign cockroach” by a neighbour. Police investigated again but no further action was taken.
Just over a year later, Ebrahimi, 44, was murdered by his neighbour, Lee James, who is serving life for the crime.
Bristol crown court has heard that in the days before he was murdered, Ebrahimi reported to police that James had burst into his home and assaulted him.
PCs Winter and Harris were sent to investigate. The prosecution has said James was “foaming at the mouth” and “vigilantism was in the air”. But they arrested Ebrahimi rather than James.
After they released Ebrahimi, he returned home and made a string of calls to police asking for help and protection, it is claimed.
Though he asked for Duffy by name, the beat manager continually refused to speak to him, the jury has been told.
It is claimed that Duffy asked Passmore to patrol the estate – but the prosecution has told the jury he only drove up and down for a few minutes before leaving.
The trial continues.
