TWO police officers under investigation
over the death of Brazilian student Roberto Laudation Curtis had been at the
scene of another Taser shooting in the area just hours beforehand, a court has
heard.
Exclisive For globalnews. |
News.com.au
can reveal the then Probationary Constable Daniel Barling and Senior Constable
Damian Ralph were part of a group of officers who helped break up a fight using
a Taser in the early hours of March 18, Downing Centre Local Court heard.
Today
magistrate Janet WahlQuist dismissed four charges against the victim, Marcello
Jimenez, after ruling the use of the Taser had not been warranted, with police
using "very poor judgment" during the arrest in Sydney's CBD.
In summing up
the prosecution's evidence in the three-day hearing, Ms Wahlquist said the now
Constable Barling had noted some of his recollection had been affected
"because it was the same night a Brazilian student had been tasered and
died".
Constable
Barling is among five officers criticized by NSW Coroner Mary Jerram over the death of Mr Curtis
In handing
down her findings earlier this month Ms Jerram noted: "Nothing excuses his
five ... deployments (of the Taser) in the drive stun mode. He must, or should,
have known that they would cause pain, hence causing more struggling, be
unlikely to subdue, and were unnecessary."
In the case
of Senior Constable Ralph his "use of OC spray was unnecessary and
excessive, and aggravated rather than subdued Roberto".
The Police
Integrity Commission is set to hold hearings into the controversial incident.
Ms Walhquist
said today's case, where Jimenez was fighting two charges of resisting arrest
and assaulting police, hinged on whether the use of the Taser had been
warranted.
"Is it
reasonable to fire a Taser into someone's back without warning?" she said.
"It would
be a fairly long way down on the list of the items that police would resort to
to take control of the situation.
"I'm not
satisfied that the use of the Taser was warranted. What flows is that the
police were not acting in the execution of their duty."
Jimenez had
earlier pleaded guilty to a single count of affray and released on a 12-month
good behaviour bond. He was also fined $500 and had a conviction recorded.
Outside court
the 27-year-old, who received a number of serious facial injuries during the arrest
told news.com.au he was grateful he had escaped Mr Curti's fate.
"It
could have been a lot worse," he said. "I was lucky that didn't
happen to me."
Before his
arrest Jimenez had drunk up to 10 beers at an afternoon barbecue, then another
"six or seven" at a club after heading into town with friends.
When officers
arrived he was yelling abuse and facing off against other men outside Scruffy
Murphy's Hotel in Goulburn St, the same place where Mr Curti had earlier met
friends to celebrate St Patrick's Day.
The court
heard it was a Constable Hugh Michelson who fired the Taser at Jimenez and CCTV
footage revealed he had not identified himself as an officer before shooting.
The footage
also showed the heavily intoxicated Jimenez had his back to police and it was
possible he had not seen them arrive, Ms Walhquist ruled.
The incident
happened just a few blocks away from where Mr Curti died.
The
magistrate noted Jimenez sustained "significant injuries" from
numerous elbow strikes and hammer fists to his face, neck and chest during his
arrest and transportation to Surry Hills police station.
Ms Wahlquist
said she had "significant concern about the judgment" in the use of
the Taser and the officers' subsequent actions.
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