Inquest opens into the death of a man shot with a Taser by police

An inquest into the death of a young man shot by police with a Taser gun begins later today.

Jordan Begley, 23, died in hospital two hours after being hit with the stun gun when police were called to his home in Beard Road, Gorton, Manchester, during a row with neighbours on July 10 2013.

The officer said to have pulled the trigger, Pc Terence Donnelly, and four others, Pc Dave Graham, Pc Christopher Mills, Pc Peter Fox and Pc Andrew Wright, all serving with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are expected to give evidence during the hearing, which is scheduled to last up to five weeks.

The inquest, at the Manchester Civil Justice Centre, will examine if the Taser caused or contributed to Mr Begley's death or was coincidental and unconnected.

Lawyers from the Press Association, the Guardian, Associated Newspapers and ITV won the right to name the officers, who wanted to remain anonymous at the inquest.

Manchester Coroner Nigel Meadows rejected a bid for anonymity by law firm Slater Gordon, acting for the officers, who claimed there was no public interest in naming them.

Mr Meadows ruled they should give evidence in open court and be named, and rejected arguments at an earlier hearing that a #50,000 bounty was on the head of any armed GMP officer and the officers involved feared reprisals if their identities were made public.

Lawyers for the officers say it is "likely" they will apply to the court for an order banning the publication of photographs of them, when the hearing begins.

The jury in the inquest will be taken on a site visit this afternoon to the house where Mr Begley and his family lived and where he was shot with the Taser