Terrorism suspect wins police brutality claim

LONDON (Reuters) - A Briton awaiting extradition to the United States to face terrorism charges won 60,000 pounds in damages on Wednesday from London's police force over the "gross brutality" of the officers who arrested him.

Babar Ahmad, a 34-year-old computer expert, says he suffered a "prolonged and violent series of gratuitous assaults" as well as religious abuse when he was arrested by police during a dawn raid at his home in Tooting, southwest London, in December 2003.

Lawyers for the capital's police chief Sir Paul Stephenson, who had initially disputed the claim, agreed at the High Court that Ahmad had been the victim of gratuitous violence.

One of the officers alleged to have been involved will now face criminal action, the court was told.

On Monday, Ahmad's lawyer Phillippa Kaufmann told the High Court that officers dragged her client from his home using handcuffs and subjected him to dangerous neck-holds which made him fear for his life.

Police had been told that Ahmad, a Muslim, was believed to be connected to al Qaeda, was the head of a south London terrorist group and was potentially very dangerous, Kaufmann said.

The court heard he was repeatedly struck before he could comply with officers' commands and at one point was forced onto his knees and instructed to pray after being asked: "Where is your God now?"

Ahmad, who claims that he suffered bruising and injuries to his ear drums, wrists, forearms and feet, as well as a psychiatric injury, did not offer any resistance, his lawyer said.

After his arrest, Ahmad was questioned and then released by counter-terrorism detectives.