Four police officers will stand trial over allegations they bashed an Aboriginal man, who was originally falsely charged with assaulting a constable before CCTV footage cleared him during the incident on the NSW north coast in 2011.
Constable Lee Walmsley, Constable Ryan Eckersley, former Sergeant Robert McCubben and Senior Constable Mark Woolven will stand trial after waiving a right to a committal hearing at the Downing Local Court, the ABC reported today.
They have pleaded not guilty.
It follows an incident involving the then 23-year-old Corey Barker in Ballina on January 14, 2011.
Mr Barker was arrested after intervening in an altercation between two of his friends and police.
He was originally charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer after being taken to Ballina Police Station, charges which were overturned when the restored CCTV footage, previously believed to be damaged, unveiled a different version of events.
Ballina Local Court Magistrate David Heilpern overturned the charges, ordered the NSW Police pay Mr Barker’s costs and referred the matter to the Police Integrity Commission.
The PIC handed down its report in 2013, recommending criminal charges for six of the officers involved. The ABC reported a total of 25 charges were laid against the officers. A fifth officer will also waive his right to a committal hearing.
The trial will start in 2015.
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