Superdrug security guard handcuffed boy 'after colleague head-butted'
Two men deny false imprisonment in connection with the incident in Chichester
A security guard has told a court that he saw a 15-year-old boy head-butt his colleague before he detained him in handcuffs because he had become increasingly "angry and aggressive".
Rangers Jake De-Geus, 30, from Chichester, and Edwin Hirst, 40, from Fareham, Hampshire, are both accused of the false imprisonment of the teenager during the incident in the Superdrug store in Chichester on March 22 2023.
Both defendants, who were contracted to work for Chichester BID (Business Improvement District), are also both accused of assault by beating of the teenager.
Paul Fairley, prosecuting, has told Portsmouth Crown Court that the two defendants are accused of using unnecessary force to detain the teenager.
Hirst told the court that after the complainant and two friends entered the shop, they started making comments in an "aggressive tone of voice".
He said that he saw the complainant pick up a shampoo bottle and place it in the pocket of one of the friends before saying: "We are taking this."
Hirst said that he did not believe the boy had been joking and added: "It appeared very serious."
He said that De-Geus then removed the shampoo bottle from the boy's pocket and asked the complainant to leave the store.
He said the complainant "did not seem happy about that and when asked to leave he told my colleague to f*** off. His facial expression was angry.
"This is where my colleague approached him to leave and I saw (the complainant) head-butt my colleague Jake. I believe (he) had made contact with the forehead of my colleague."
He said that De-Geus attempted to restrain the complainant "because he started throwing punches".
Hirst then said that he assisted his colleague and said: "I took hold of his (complainant's) right hand and I tried to calm him down but he was using so much force that he was smashing into the shelves, damaging property."
He said that they then brought the boy to the floor for the "safety" of themselves and members of the public and because the boy was getting "more aggressive and using more physical violence".
Hirst said that this was done with "reasonable force" and in a "controlled manner" and added: "I informed him he had to calm down and co-operate or handcuffs will be applied."
He added: "He was still escalating, he was trying to kick out at me, he was still screaming, making threats. He was kicking his legs out and for my safety I put my leg over so he couldn't kick me."
The defendant, who told the court he was trained in the use of handcuffs in 2015, said that he put the handcuffs on the boy who was also attempting to hit him with a reverse head-butt.
He added the complainant threatened him by saying: "Turn me around so I can spit in your face."
Hirst added that while restraining the boy, the two friends became involved and the defendant said he was punched and kicked in the head.
Hirst was also accused of assaulting one of the friends but Judge William Ashworth instructed the jury to find him not guilty of this charge.
The judge told the jury: "Having seen the footage and what appeared to be a direct and unlawful assault by (the friend), the prosecution have taken the view that they do not want to convict Mr Hirst on count three."
The defendants deny the charges and the trial continues.