A petition has been launched demanding justice for Julian Cole who was left paralysed and brain damaged following an arrest by police.
Cole was enjoying a night out with friends in Bedfordshire in 2013 before being asked to leave. The group of friends left the nightclub, before Cole went back to ask for a refund.
His return to the venue is not captured on CCTV but after being “taken to the ground” twice by police outside the club, Cole – who was an unarmed 19-year-old sports science student at the time – was left with a broken neck and severe spinal injuries.
The description for the petition explains Cole’s injuries resulted in him suffering a “cardiac arrest and a serious brain injury due to a lack of oxygen reaching his brain.”
Despite three officers being fired for lying about what happened during the incident, nobody has faced criminal charges, with the Bedfordshire Police force claiming there is no evidence to suggest the officers are to blame for Julian Cole’s injuries.
After two reviews into the incident, a spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service said “our legal test to proceed with prosecution was not met”.
A petition was launched by Zayneb Benyoucef calling for justice for Julian Cole after she saw George The Poet speak on the case on a recent appearance on Newsnight.
Benyoucef said: “I was captivated by Julian’s story and was shocked there were no convictions.
“The petition is about justice and holding people accountable. A lot of people are touched by his story.
“It gives me hope that we can make a difference.”
The petition, which has been signed by over 130,000 people, is calling for “the officers to be held to account for this conduct in a criminal court.”
For more information on the case and to get justice for Julian Cole, click here.