A man was left paralysed from the waist down after a police officer tasered him during the first Covid lockdown, a court heard.

PC Imran Mahmood, 36, from Plaistow, is accused of unlawfully inflicting grievous bodily harm on Jordan Walker-Brown during a lockdown patrol in Haringey.

Mr Walker-Brown, then 23, sustained “catastrophic” life-changing injuries after he was tasered after climbing on top of wheelie bins in Burgoyne Road, on May 4, 2020.

He fell and hit his head on the pavement, breaking his back.

He had not pulled out any weapon at the time he was tasered, the court heard.

PC Mahmood does not dispute inflicting grievous bodily harm but denies it was unlawful.

Southwark Crown Court heard yesterday (May 2) that the officer was patrolling the Haringey area with eight others as part of the Met’s Territorial Support Group, which deals with outbreaks of public disorder, on the day of the incident.

The officers’ unmarked van turned into Burgoyne Road where the defendant spotted Mr Walker-Brown walking along the pavement.

The court heard Mahmood wanted to see if he was “legitimately” in the area during lockdown, and that he did not believe Mr Walker-Brown was dressed appropriately for exercise with his hood up and woolly hat on in warm weather.

Mr Walker-Brown had a bum bag on, which the officer believed could have been used to carry illegal items, and did a “double take” when he saw police arrive, the court heard.

Mahmood and a colleague chased him and drew their tasers while the van followed.

Mr Walker-Brown then entered the front garden of a house and tried to climb over a fence leading to a footpath, but first had to jump onto a wheelie bin to make it over.

At this point the defendant drew his taser, which created such an electric shock it caused Mr Walker-Brown to tumble backwards over the fence, the court heard. He landed head-first on the footpath below and broke his back.

The other officer did not discharge his taser.

Prosecutor Ben Fitzgerald KC told jurors that Mahmood was taught in training that tasers cause “intense pain” which leave the subject unable to control the muscles in their body, and that tasering someone at a height carries a “particular risk.”

When interviewed by the police watchdog Mahmood said he believed Mr Walker-Brown was about to pull a knife and begin attacking “anyone who attempted to stop him”, the court heard.

The trial, which is expected to last five days, continues.

Reporting by PA.