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SHOT DEAD: Mark Duggan was killed after armed police opened fire

THE POLICE officer who shot dead Mark Duggan “simply got it wrong”, an expert witness has told the inquest jury about the 2011 incident that sparked riots across London and England that summer.

Giving evidence at the inquest today, pathologist professor Derrick Pounder countered initial claims made by the police marksman who opened fire with two shots.

Pounder, who was in charge of the second post-mortem examination of Duggan’s body, said the first shot struck Duggan’s arm and the second fatal round made impact with his chest.

The testimony is a direct contradiction of what the officer, known as V53, said in his account of the fatal shooting, claiming his first shot hit Duggan’s chest.

Pounder told the inquest: “My conclusion is the first shot, the non-fatal shot, was to the arm, and the second shot, the fatal shot, was to the chest.”

Speaking further about V53’s version of the incident, the professor added: “He said he couldn't be 100 per cent sure but that's what he thought.

“I take the view that he simply got it wrong.”

Duggan was travelling in a taxi through Tottenham, north London, in August 2011 when he intercepted and stopped by police.

Police claim they believe Duggan was in possession of a firearm and allege that he pointed the weapon at officers before marksmen opened fire.

Other accounts of the fatal shooting say Duggan was unarmed when he was shot dead.

His death led to widespread rioting across London that spilled out to other parts of the country during that summer.