Trial begins of police officer accused of killing Ian Tomlinson Simon Harwood arrives at Southwark crown court in London. The trial has begun of Simon Harwood, the police constable accused of killing Ian Tomlinson, who died shortly after he collapsed amid a major Metropolitan police operation around the G20 summit in London in April 2009. Harwood, 41, denies the manslaughter of the 47-year-old newspaper vendor, who was attempting to make his way home through the police cordons on the evening of 1 April when he collapsed. Harwood's case began after a New York-based businessman, who was in London and observing the protests, handed the Guardian video footage of events linking the constable and Tomlinson shortly before the latter collapsed. Following a morning taken up with legal discussions at Southwark crown court, the prosecution is expected to open its case on Monday afternoon. A number of Tomlinson's family attended the opening court session. Harwood, a father of two from Carshalton, Surrey, entered the court building hand in hand with his wife. The trial is scheduled to last up to five weeks.