Scotland Yard has paid out close to £50,000 in compensation to an 80-year-old retired ballet dancer who was Tasered in his own kitchen by armed officers who mistakenly believed he was a gun-wielding 26-year-old suspect.
A Terrifying Dawn Raid Based on Incorrect Information
Armed police officers forcibly entered the home of Roy Morton, a father-of-two with a heart pacemaker, early on the morning of December 28, 2021. The officers fired a Taser stun gun at Mr Morton, restrained him on the floor, and handcuffed him. This aggressive response followed a call handler providing the incorrect address for a firearms incident report.
The terrified octogenarian was subsequently arrested on suspicion of affray and detained for eleven hours. This occurred despite his serious heart condition and the situation being a clear case of mistaken identity, with police apparently looking for a black suspect in his twenties while confronting a white man in his eighties.
A Storied Career Interrupted by Trauma
Mr Morton enjoyed a distinguished career as a dancer with both the English National Ballet and the English National Opera. He also had acting roles, including a speaking part as a page to the Queen in the Netflix series The Crown, and appearances in films such as The Theory of Everything and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
He reports that the traumatic incident has left him suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a persistent stutter. "I could have died," Mr Morton told the Daily Mail. "For the first time in my life I felt like an old man, and have been left with a stutter and post-traumatic stress disorder. I will never be the same person I was before this."
Lengthy Legal Battle and a Settlement
The Metropolitan Police has now agreed to settle the civil claim brought by Mr Morton. Notably, no officers involved have been found guilty of misconduct following internal investigations.
Although the force issued a public apology in January 2022 after media coverage of the incident, Mr Morton states he has never received a personal apology. "The money isn't the important thing really," he said. "The important thing is they haven't even apologised for being so wrong and causing me so much distress."
He added that the case nearly went to a five-day trial, settling only on January 22 of this year. "I only agreed to settle because they had already wasted so much time and taxpayers money taking it to trial," Mr Morton explained.
Legal Criticism and Police Response
Mr Morton's lawyer, Rachel Harger of Bindmans solicitors, criticised the police force's approach. "There was an early public acknowledgement that a serious error had occurred," she stated, "yet Mr Morton was forced to pursue proceedings to the brink of trial to achieve any finality."
An internal Met investigation found the call handler missed several opportunities to identify that the address provided was incorrect. Despite this finding, the force initially denied full liability.
Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Smithson commented: "We wholeheartedly apologise to Mr Morton and understand the impact this incident has had, while also recognising the amount of time it's taken to reach a conclusion in this case. We hope Mr Morton is able to move forward and thank him for his patience during this process."
He added that the Met has reviewed the circumstances and implemented specific training procedures for all call handlers to prevent similar errors in the future.
Moving On from the Ordeal
In the aftermath of the raid, Mr Morton has sold the house in Cricklewood, northwest London, where the incident occurred. He intends to use the settlement money towards purchasing a new home, seeking to put the distressing event behind him.
