A police officer and a PCSO have been convicted of misconduct over the murder of a disabled man whose calls for help were ignored before he was beaten to death and burned by vigilante neighbours.

Bijan Ebrahimi, 44, died in July 2013 after being beaten to death and set alight by an angry mob who wrongly thought he was a paedophile.

In the days before his death, the Iranian national had repeatedly asked for police protection after being threatened by his neighbour Lee James.

PC Kevin Duffy (left) and PCSO Andrew Passmore (right) of Avon and Somerset Police have been convicted of misconduct in a public office following a trial at Bristol Crown Court

Bijan Ebrahimi, 44 (pictured), died in July 2013 after being beaten to death and set alight by an angry mob who wrongly thought he was a paedophile

But, when he called police to report James, officers ignored his complaints and instead arrested the victim.

In footage filmed by Mr Ebrahimi, he had been heard telling an officer: ‘For a second time he came to me and threatening me to die and you let him go. You are supposed to come here to look after me.’

When the innocent immigrant was released the following day, he made 12 further calls to police, begging for help. But just 48 hours after first making contact, Mr Ebrahimi was murdered outside his home in Brislington, Bristol.

PC Kevin Duffy and PCSO Andrew Passmore of Avon and Somerset Police - who were said to have found the victim to be a 'nuisance' - have now been convicted of misconduct in a public office following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

Their colleagues PC Leanne Winter, 38, and PC Helen Harris, 40 - who visited Mr Ebrahimi following his first complaint - were cleared of any wrong doing.

But the four are among 18 employees of the force who are still facing internal misconduct proceedings - nine for gross misconduct and nine for misconduct.

The court heard how, despite being asked to investigate, Duffy said he was 'busy' because he 'disliked' Mr Ebrahimi and 'never found the time'.

Instead, he sent PCSO Andrew Passmore, 55, who claimed he spent an hour patrolling the area but in reality only stayed for 'three to four minutes'.

The court heard how, when James was first visited by police, he was so angry that he was 'foaming' at the mouth and openly told staff that he would 'do time to protect his children'.

In the days before his death, the Iranian national (pictured) had repeatedly asked for police protection after being threatened by his neighbour Lee James

The charred piece of grass outside Mr Ebrahimi's property in Brislington, Bristol, after he was killed

DESPERATE PLEAS FOR HELP THEY IGNORED Mr Ebrahimi’s 12 calls to Avon and Somerset police the day before his murder included: 3.02pm He tells call handler PC Kevin Duffy was meant to visit his house. Advised to call back in 15 minutes. 3.56pm Operator speaks to PC Duffy who says he will visit later. Mr Ebrahimi says: ‘I don’t feel safe here.’ 7.05pm Mr Ebrahimi tells call handler: ‘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.’ Duffy says he has ‘no intentions of taking any calls from Bijan Ebrahimi’, adding: ‘I will speak to him at my convenience.’ 7.32pm Mr Ebrahimi says: ‘I’ve got a mob behind my door ... I can’t go outside the door because I am not safe.’ Operator tries to contact PC Winter. A colleague answers and says: ‘She is sat opposite me, stuffing her face with Pot Noodle.’ PC Winter says she doesn’t want to speak to Mr Ebrahimi. 8.07pm Tells call handler he still feels unsafe. PC Duffy says: ‘I’m not gonna talk to him.’ He then calls Mr Ebrahimi a ‘perpetual liar’. 9.42pm Mr Ebrahimi calls from outside police station but is told to go home and that no one is available. PC Duffy says he is ‘gonna go off on one in a second’, adding: ‘I am considering doing [him] for harassment if he keeps calling.’ Advertisement

He mistakenly thought Mr Ebrahimi was filming his daughters for sexual motives, but actually he was filming alleged antisocial behaviour.

But his ugly threats were ignored and James thought he could simply 'do as he pleased'. Three days after Mr Ebrahimi first phoned police, he was murdered.

James was later jailed for life and ordered to spend a minimum term of 18 years behind bars. He repeatedly stamped on the head of 44-year-old Mr Ebrahimi, inflicting fatal injuries.

Accomplice Stephen Norley, 25, who lived in the same street, was sentenced to four years for assisting an offender, after he supplied the white spirit used to set Mr Ebrahimi's body alight.

Prosecutors say Norley helped James drag Mr Ebrahimi's body away from the scene of the attack and had assisted in setting fire to his body by obtaining white spirit.

The body was dragged 100 yards to the verge of a neighbouring road before the liquid was poured on and was set alight.

PC Leanne Winter (left) 38, and PC Helen Harris, 40, (right) who visited Mr Ebrahimi following his first complaint - were cleared of any wrong doing. They still face internal proceedings

During the latest trial, the court was told how Mr Ebrahimi had dialled 999 and reported that James had come into his flat, head-butted him and threatened him.

The Iranian-born victim had suffered racial abuse in Bristol, his family said, being called 'cockroach' and 'P**i' and a previous home was targeted in an arson attack.

When PC Winter and PC Harris arrived, James was crying with anger and was heard shouting: 'Paedo! I'm going to f****** kill you.'

But it was the victim, who had problems with his mobility and suffered from depression, who ended up being arrested for an alleged breach of the peace.

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

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC added it had been a 'toxic situation' which called for 'proactive policing' and that James's intentions 'could hardly have been plainer'.

CCTV footage shows PC Helen Harris, 41, telling Ebrahimi, 44 (above), 'don't speak to me' and branding him a 'pain in the ass' at a Bristol police station just days before he was released and beaten to death

During his time in custody, Mr Ebrahimi was branded a 'nuisance' and told by PC Harris that she couldn't 'be bothered to waste my energy on you'. It was shown on CCTV during the trial

While in custody at Broadbury Road Police Station, CCTV footage showed Mr Ebrahimi being called a 'nuisance' by staff.

In the film, Harris can be heard telling Mr Ebrahimi: 'All you are doing is upsetting the residents... and antagonising them.

TIMELINE WHICH LEAD TO TRAGEDY July 11: Mr Ebrahimi dialled 999 and reported that Lee 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. Winter and Harris arrested Mr Ebrahimi for an alleged breach of the peace. As he was led away from his home, the crowd cheered, clapped and shouted 'paedophile'. July 12: Mr Ebrahimi was released from custody. He made 12 calls to police non-emergency number 101. PC Winter told the operator to tell him she was 'busy' at a job when she was 'stuffing her face' with a Pot Noodle, the jury was told. He was informed that Duffy, his local beat manager, would visit him. 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 the area, which went on for about three to four minutes. July 13: Mr Ebrahimi tried to contact Duffy and Winter numerous times. Winter said she was 'not interested' in talking with him. July 14: Just after 1am, witnesses saw James repeatedly stamp on Mr Ebrahimi's head with his right foot. His body was later burned. Advertisement

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

The court heard PC Harris also tell Mr Ebrahimi: 'I'm not talking. I can't even be bothered to waste my energy on you.'

Mr Ebrahimi was released from custody the next day. After, he made a dozen calls to police in the hope that his beat manager PC Duffy would deal with his complaint against James.

But Mr Aylett told the court that PC Duffy 'did not like' Mr Ebrahimi.

'PC Duffy was asked a number of times [to visit] and PC Duffy said that he was busy, and he would go and see Mr Ebrahimi in his own good time,' he said.

'From the content of these calls, it is perfectly apparent that PC Duffy regarded Bijan Ebrahimi as a liar and in fact in one call he called him a "perpetual liar".

'He must also have regarded Mr Ebrahimi as a nuisance and he was, we suggest, simply not interested in any complaint that Mr Ebrahimi had.'

He added: 'Despite being asked a numerous times to go and see Mr Ebrahimi, PC Duffy never seemed to find the time.'

The court was told how, among the phone calls, Mr Ebrahimi told one operator that his life was in 'danger'.

'Right now a few of my neighbours are outside and shouting and calling me a paedophile. I need to see PC Duffy,' he pleaded.

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

During another call, when he tried to speak to PC Winter, she told the operator to tell him she was 'busy' at a job when she was 'stuffing her face' with a Pot Noodle, the jury was told.

On another occasion, the day before his death, Mr Ebrahimi phoned police asking for PC Winter but the officer told a call operator: 'I'm absolutely not interested in speaking to him ever.'

Neighbours Lee James (left) and Stephen Norley (left) have both been jailed over Mr Ebrahimi's murder

Mr Ebrahimi took a video of James, which was shown to police, before he beat him to death

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

Passmore was acquitted of misconduct in a public office by failing to carry out any or an adequate patrol around Mr Ebrahimi's home.

But he was convicted of misconduct in a public office by falsely claiming to have spent an hour patrolling the area during an interview with murder detectives.

Duffy and Passmore were released on unconditional bail following their convictions. Neither wished to comment as they left Bristol Crown Court.

Judge Neil Ford QC, the Recorder of Bristol, adjourned their sentencing to a date to be fixed in 2016.

'All sentencing options are open in this case,' he told both defendants.