'Dumped at Cornbrook station with no money, phone or transport at Christmas. Our family is broken'

A vulnerable father-of-three who was 'dumped' by police at a Metrolink station died after he was hit by a car almost three hours later on a motorway miles away, his mother said.

Benjamin Connor was 'in no fit state to be left alone' and had 'no money, phone or transport at Christmas', a jury heard as an inquest into his death began more than three years on from the tragedy.

Mr Connor, who was 30 and a trained chef, started chatting and drinking with two men he didn't know before in a pub in Manchester city centre then had a meal with them in Chinatown just days after Christmas in 2021.

The inquest jury heard all three then went back to the flat of one of the men, Mohammed Ahmed, in Rusholme, but Mr Connor's 'behaviour deteriorated' there and he was 'asked to leave'.

Mr Ahmed, giving evidence, said Mr Connor was 'joyful, laughing and joking' at the JD Wetherspoon pub in Manchester, but 'flipped' into 'extreme aggressiveness' and went for him with a knife after the three had more drinks at his flat.

Body-worn video footage from one of the officers first at the scene was played to the jury. Mr Ahmed, in the footage, is heard to describe Mr Connor as 'a psychopath'. He was also asked what the police should do with Mr Connor and whether he supported a prosecution.

Mr Ahmed was heard in the footage telling the officer in the aftermath that Mr Connor 'needs mental health' support.

The jury heard Mr Connor was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of seven and later expelled from school. He was said by his mother to be a 'completely different person' when he was drinking and taking drugs, but had sought, and received support from, mental health services in the months before he died.

Greater Manchester Police officers attended and he