Police 'shot samurai sword man'

Andrew Kernan "refused to drop the weapon", the coroner said

A schizophrenic man was shot dead in the street by a police marksman after he refused to drop a samurai sword, an inquest has heard.

Andrew Kernan, 37, was killed while brandishing the 3ft-long weapon outside a Liverpool pub in July 2001.

Coroner Andre Rebello told the jury evidence would show Mr Kernan refused repeated requests to drop the weapon.

His mother, Marie Kernan, was comforted by her daughter after she broke down while giving evidence.

Mr Rebello told the inquest Mr Kernan was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic in his early 20s.

Marie Kernan broke down while giving evidence

He had been forced to quit his gardening job and had gone to live with his mother, who was his full time carer.

Mr Rebello said Mr Kernan had become agitated on the night before his death and mental health workers had been called to their flat in Wavertree.

His 30-year-old sister Veronica Doyle - who is a police officer herself - also made a 999 call one hour later asking police to come to the flat.

At the same time, a mental health worker had flagged down a police car, which happened to be carrying armed officers.

Crowd of drinkers

The flat was cordoned off, but Mr Kernan went outside, carrying a samurai sword.

The jury was told officers used CS gas, which failed to control him, and, as he walked towards the edge of the cordon, close to a crowd of watching drinkers from the Wellington pub, he was shot in the chest.

Chief Supt David Crompton, of Greater Manchester Police, who investigated the incident for the Police Complaints Authority, showed the jury the sword.

He said it was a replica model which had been sharpened and talked them through a computer graphic and aerial photographs of the scene.

The inquest is scheduled to last three weeks.