Kuwaiti official tasered after urinating on Tony Blair's doorstep

[Magda Hassan]

Kuwaiti official tasered after urinating on Tony Blair's doorstep

A Kuwaiti government official was tasered by police after he was found urinating outside the home of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, it has emerged.

Officers eventually discharged the 50,000 volt taser in order to place the suspect, who spoke little English, under arrest Photo: PA
By Martin Evans, Crime Correspondent





9:02PM BST 22 Apr 2012


Diplomatic protection officers came across the Arabic man as they patrolled outside Mr Blair's £4.3 million townhouse in Connaught Square, Belgravia, central London in the early hours.

When they asked the man, who appeared to be drunk, to stop urinating he allegedly refused to cooperate and a scuffle broke out.

Officers eventually discharged the 50,000 volt taser in order to place the suspect, who spoke little English, under arrest.

However the man collapsed and had to be taken to hospital, where it emerged he was a Kuwaiti government official, Ayedh Alrashidi.

Mr Alrashidi had been staying in London in order to visit a family who was undergoing medical treatment in the UK.

Described by associates as a "wealthy and peaceful man", he had been staying with friends in an apartment close to Connaught Square.
Following the incident, which occurred last September, he was initially charged with being drunk and disorderly and assaulting a police officer, but was eventually bound over to keep the peace for 12 months following an agreement between his legal team and the Crown Prosecution Service.
According to his lawyers, Mr Alrashidi, was deeply concerned at his treatment by the police and considered taking the matter further.
However he eventually returned to Kuwait having decided not to pursue the matter.
His lawyer in London, Bassam Tablieh said the incident had escalated because of confusion and Mr Alrashidi's lack of English.
He said: "Mr Alrashidi is a Kuwaiti national, who lives abroad. He doesn't speak very good English. He is a peaceful man and didn't realise what was happening."
A spokesman for Scotland Yard confirmed that a taser had been deployed and a man was charged with being drunk and disorderly and assault.
Mr Blair's London home is protected by officers the Metropolitan Police's CO6 Diplomatic Protection Unit.
In 2009, the former Prime Minister was criticised after intervening in order to maintain a 24-hour security detail on the property when the force proposed cutting it in order to save money.
Critics claimed Mr Blair, who is estimated to have made as much as £20 million since leaving office, should help fund any security detail himself.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/c...rstep.html