The police officer on trial for murdering Dalian Atkinson has told the court he kicked the former footballer while he was on the ground because he feared being killed if he got up. PC Benjamin Monk denies the murder or manslaughter of the former Aston Villa striker after being called to a disturbance outside the home of Atkinson’s father on 15 August 2016. He told a jury how Atkinson, 48, had been erratic when confronted, threatening to take the officer “to the gates of hell”, leaving Monk so terrified he ran away. Monk told Birmingham crown court he had been armed with a stun gun when called to the property in Meadow Close, Telford. Monk, who served with the West Mercia force, went to the incident with PC Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, which the court has heard was in a relationship with him at the time. She denies a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm. Questioned by his barrister, Patrick Gibbs QC, Monk explained why he had subjected Atkinson, 48, to a Taser stun gun pulse for 33 seconds, which is six times longer than its standard default setting. He also explained to the jury why he had kicked Atkinson twice in the head while he was on the ground. Monk said that when he arrived at Meadow Close just after 1.30am, he knocked and shouted “police”, and Atkinson opened the door. The officer said the way the former footballer had presented himself left him feeling intimidated, more than ever before in his 14-year policing career. Monk accepted in court that he was slightly taller than Atkinson, who came out of the house, with the officer backing off. The officer said Atkinson was “very unpredictable” and had “entered into the belief he was the Messiah”. Monk said he had pulled out his Taser electric weapon and warned him that “50,000 volts” would be fired at him unless he complied. Monk fired the stun gun repeatedly, without any effect, with Atkinson still standing, the court heard. Monk told the jury Atkinson said, “You can put 100,000 volts through me. I am the fucking Messiah. Your Taser won’t work,” and added: “I’m going to take you to the gates of hell.” Monk said he backed off again : “He was very, very scary, very scary.” Monk said he fired a second cartridge, which again did not stop Atkinson: “I thought, we are done for.” Monk said he had repeatedly ordered Atkinson to stop and then fired again with his third and final Taser cartridge. Asked by Gibbs, the officer said he was not aware he had fired for 33 seconds, saying he thought it was less than five seconds. Monk told the jury that the weapon had finally worked. He said that after Atkinson had frozen and fallen down, he was flooded with relief. Once Atkinson was on the ground, Monk said, he thought he had been trying to pull the Taser barbs, which help deliver the incapacitating electric current, out of his chest. Bettley-Smith struck Atkinson with a baton, and Monk said he believed the former footballer had still been moving and trying to get up. If he had done so, the officer said, he feared he would die. Gibbs asked: “So what did you do?” Monk replied: “I kicked him.” He added: “At the time, I thought I had kicked him in the shoulder … It was a desperate, instinctive act.” The jury heard earlier that the kicks had struck Atkinson’s head with sufficient force that an imprint of Monk’s laces was left on Atkinson’s forehead, and the former footballer’s blood was left on the officer’s boots. Monk said he had not wanted to hurt Atkinson, and claimed the force used in the kicks were four out of a scale of 10. He said he did not know when reinforcements would arrive and if he had known, he may not have used force. Questioned by prosecutor Alexandra Healey QC, Monk said he did not recall telling colleagues afterwards that he had kicked Atkinson in the head. In interviews later Monk said he thought the kick had hit the shoulder. The prosecution said earlier that Monk had acted out of anger, not self-defence, when he kicked Atkinson in the head. The trial continues.