Police marksmen used special 'hollow point' dum-dum-style bullets designed to kill instantly on the day they shot Jean Charles de Menezes, the Old Bailey heard today.

Specialist firearms officers were armed with bullets used by US air marshals that “immediately incapacitate” the victim, the court heard.

A senior firearms advisor known as “Andrew” to protect his anonymity said the decision was made to help police chasing the failed July 21 suicide bombers who were still at large.

He told the jury hearing the case against the Metropolitan Police, which is on trial accused of“fundamental failures” in handling the operation, the bullets would stop a suicide bomber detonating their device.

Factfile: revelations from the de Menezes trial

Information about the police killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, on July 22, 2005, that has emerged during the trial

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• Pictures: Jean Charles de Menezes

BACKGROUND

• Ian Blair survives no confidence vote

• Timeline: how de Menezes identity emerged

• Come quietly, Sir Ian – you’re banged to rights

• ‘It is my task to ensure that lessons are learnt’

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• Stockwell chief ‘changed order’

• Revealed: last moments of Stockwell victim

• De Menezes police took four hours to deploy

The officer, who was Acting Superintendent at the time, told the court that he opted for hollow point 124 grain bullets, which hit the victim but do not come out the other side. Their usual, more powerful ammunition, 9mm jacketed soft point bullets, would pass through the other side, he said.

He told the court: “The bullet flattens on impact and immediately incapacitates the target.“This is a more effective bullet in the context of dealing with a suicide bomber as there is more chance of incapacitating a subject with a single shot.”

“A direct to brain stem shot is the only way to incapacitate a subject. You need a bullet that dumps all its energy into the subject.”

Mr de Menezes, an innocent Brazilian electrician, was followed from his home at Scotia Road, South London - an address linked to July 21 attempted bomber Hussain Osman. He was followed unchallenged on two buses and a Tube train, before armed police shot him in the head on a train at Stockwell station.

The 27-year-old was blasted seven times in the head after being wrongly identified as a terrorist.

The adviser told the court what firearms officers were taught about when they should use their weapons. He said they were trained to fire “as a last resort”.

“Police officers should only fire the firearms as a last resort, when conventional methods have failed.

He said they should only fire when it is “absolutely necessary”, they should act “proportionately” and “in compliance with the law”.

The officer said he was experienced at training police to use firearms and described the training regime. Officers were required to achieve 70 per cent accuracy with their shooting and underwent two periods of four full days’ training every year.

They would spend four days on tactical training and four days on shooting training, he said. The Metropolitan Police denies a single charge of exposing the public to risk.

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