Police accused of 'gross brutality'

Babar Ahmad, a 34-year-old IT support analyst, claims that a "prolonged and violent series of gratuitous assaults" by territorial support group officers were intended to humiliate and debase him and make him fear for his life.

The Metropolitan Police deny liability and are contesting Ahmad's claim for damages, including aggravated and exemplary damages, for assault.

His counsel, Phillippa Kaufmann, told the High Court that handcuffs were used to drag Ahmad about during the dawn arrest at his home in Tooting, south west London, in December 2003, and he was subjected to neck holds.

"The use of handcuffs was known by the officers to cause excruciating pain, and one or more officers deliberately, repeatedly and sadistically used them for no reason other than to hurt the claimant.

"The neck hold is an extremely dangerous hold, as the officer would well have known. It can only have been intended to cause the claimant to experience a state of utter terror, at the thought that he was about to die."

The Met Police say that while force was used to effect arrest, it was reasonable in the circumstances - and specifically deny that Ahmad was punched, struck with the knee more than once, controlled with the cuffs, stamped on or twice placed in a neck hold in the police van.

Miss Kaufmann told Mr Justice Holroyde in London that Ahmad, who followed proceedings by videolink from Long Lartin prison, was never charged with any offences arising out of his arrest.

She said that his circumstances had changed profoundly in August 2004, when he was arrested pursuant to a request made by the USA government, and had been detained ever since awaiting a decision on whether his extradition would contravene the European Convention on Human Rights.

Ahmad is expected to attend court on Wednesday to give evidence.