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A police officer and a community support officer have been convicted of misconduct after the "vigilante " murder of a disabled man.

Iranian-born Bijan Ebrahimi, 44, was beaten to death and his body set on fire by neighbour Lee James, who wrongly believed he was a paedophile.

James believed Mr Ebrahimi had filmed his children but he was actually recording anti-social behaviour to submit to Bristol City Council.

Mr Ebrahimi's death came days after James told police he would "do time to protect his children".

PC Kevin Duffy, 52, and PCSO Andrew Passmore, 56, were yesterday convicted of misconduct in a public office, while PCs Leanne Winter, 38, and Helen Harris, 40, were cleared.

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The jury of seven women and five men returned their verdicts following three days of deliberations, following a seven-week trial.

Bristol Crown Court heard that on the Friday before his death, Mr Ebrahimi, who was registered disabled, had made 12 calls to police fearing for his safety and reporting a mob outside his flat in Brislington, Bristol.

He also reported that James had come into his flat and head-butted him.

When PC Winter and PC Harris arrived, James was crying with anger and frothing at the mouth.

They did not see any injuries on Mr Ebrahimi.

A mob had formed outside and James was heard shouting: "Paedo! I'm going to f ** kill you."

PC Winter and PC Harris arrested Mr Ebrahimi for an alleged breach of the peace.

(Image: PA) (Image: PA)

As he was led away from his home, the crowd cheered, clapped and shouted "paedophile".

While in custody, PC Harris told Mr Ebrahimi: "All you are doing is upsetting the residents... and antagonising them.

"I'm a police officer and you're a pain in the ass. Don't speak to me."

Mr Ebrahimi was released from custody the following day, July 12, and made 12 calls to police non-emergency number 101.

He was informed that Duffy, his local beat manager, would visit him.

Mr Ebrahimi told one operator: "My life is in danger. Right now a few of my neighbours are outside and shouting and calling me a paedophile.

"I need to see PC Duffy."

(Image: SWNS)

Duffy refused to speak to him and said he would call Mr Ebrahimi back at his own convenience.

The officer asked Passmore to conduct a "bit of a foot patrol" around Capgrave Crescent.

Mr Ebrahimi phoned police at 00.12am on July 14 asking for Winter but the officer told a call operator: "I'm absolutely not interested in speaking to him ever."

Witnesses saw James repeatedly stamp on Mr Ebrahimi's head with his right foot, telling him "have some of that".

CCTV footage captured a blaze starting at 1.35am, which a paramedic extinguished 10 minutes later.

James later told his partner: "We set him on fire. "He is not going to take photos any more.

"Tell the girls I did it for them and you.

"We took care of things."

A post-mortem examination found Mr Ebrahimi, who had problems with his mobility and suffered from depression, died before he was set alight.

Mr Ebrahimi's family called for Duffy and Passmore to be sacked from Avon and Somerset Police.

In a statement released after court, his sister Manizhah Moores said: "We would like to thank the jury for their careful consideration of the evidence.

(Image: SWNS)

"We now call on the Chief Constable to remove Officers Duffy and Passmore from the Force with immediate effect.

"Our search for justice for Bijan continues.

"We dedicate Bijan's memory to all other victims of race hate crime, in the hope that their lives can be protected."

Avon and Somerset Police said 18 officers and staff - including Duffy, Passmore, Harris and Winter - were facing misconduct proceedings.

Nine face allegations of gross misconduct, while nine face misconduct charges.

Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe described Mr Ebrahimi's murder as "senseless".

"This tragedy should never have happened," she said.

"A great deal has been done to understand and reflect on the events in the weeks leading up to Mr Ebrahimi's death.

"We have changed and improved the way we work and will continue to work with our partners to do everything in our power to prevent such a dreadful event happening again."

James, of Brislington, was convicted of murder in 2013 and is serving a life sentence.

Another neighbour, Stephen Norley, who lived next door, was jailed for four years for assisting an offender.