ACT Court's Revolving Door Policy Works for Cops Too!

People bought to the City Watch House are essentially in the care of the police – It’s a shame that this gutless lazy a-hole thought he was just doing his job when he assaulted these people … I’d be worried about his family – it would surprise me if he was beating his wife and kids or getting off on molesting his dog, after all its essentially the same mindset.

The low self-esteem and poor character of the plods who casually just stood by surprises me too. I know that, given police wages, your never really going to attract much, but you’d think that having a spine would be a pre-requisite.

Special G, absolutely correct.

They were minor assults, he got all he deserved really. No doubt he wasn’t doing it to the people who walked in normally and didn’t make a fuss anyway. Judging by the reaction of the other officers in the footage, it looks like it was a culture problem in that it was accepted by all and this guy just takes the heat for them all.

Having had first hand experience with both capsicum spray and the old original “mace” I’m not sure if I’d ever call the result of their use a ‘minor assault’ but I’d agree that perspective is indeed warranted.

I suspect though, that the sad reality of this story is that the easy availability of the capsicum spray and surveillance techniques conspired to “out” a bad nut who has, in all probability, been availing himself of all manner of offensive weapons and more traditional devices of assault over his 27 year career. In the 70s it was probably an old footy sock with a couple of billiard balls purloined from the Workies or the Buffalo Grill…

Given the regular standard of the ACT Courts this is quite a harsh sentence. Bear in mind these were minor assaults in teh grand scheme of things with no injuries. Compare it to Ambers form. I am not condoning in any way what he did although I wouldn’t call for the gallows either.

Chances of him reoffending – probably none.

“One other interesting point about this case… if there had not been a video camera recording the evidence, does anyone believe that the complaints of the nine would have have resulted in any action other than a dismissal of their cases as ‘the ravings of demented drunks’???”

Very good point! I guess I would have thought, “they probably deserved it”, but after seeing that footage it certainly proves that most victims didn’t deserve it at all.

I was astonished at how casually the officer sprayed those people with capsicum spray, and with no physical provocation from the victims. It was like “oh well, i’ve had enough of listening to you talk, so here, have a face full of capsicum spray”.

I remember when a school acquaintance got capsicum sprayed a few years back (it was the night of yr 12 grad, and admittedly, they were acting quite stupid to the police) when we were doing a walk-back-to-school-from-Civic.
They got about five seconds warning that the police felt threatened before they and the person behind them got sprayed. Both went to the ground, but only the intended recipient got taken away back to Civic, and the collateral victim got to weep all the way back from Parliament house to Woden…

I think there’s a cultural perception re: capsicum spray of “it doesn’t do any lasting damage so its fine”.

One other interesting point about this case… if there had not been a video camera recording the evidence, does anyone believe that the complaints of the nine would have have resulted in any action other than a dismissal of their cases as ‘the ravings of demented drunks’???

Some of the other coppers shown in the footage were quietly told to resign or else. The one I know took this option and has now joined the military… yeah, cos we need more mentalists with short fuses and zero sense of social responsibility in the armed forces!

If you or I went around assaulting people like this, on more than one occasion, we would get a custodial sentence. Capsicum spray is nasty stuff, and can dangerous to some people.

The ex-copper was probably entitled to a discount for pleading guilty/cooperation, a discount for previous good behaviour and a discount for the loss of his position in the AFP (assuming his resignation was somehow connected with this matter). As well, there is a reluctance to imprison coppers because prison can be so hard for them. Balanced against that, the gravity of his conduct was aggravated by his position and experience, by the bad effects on less experienced coppers and the effect on public faith in the AFP. On balance, I think he can say he got away lightly.