Policeman allegedly bashed motorist before charging him with assault

Kieran Atkin at Melbourne Magistrates Court. Picture: Mark Stewart

 

A POLICE officer accused of bashing a motorist before charging him with assault is likely to be sacked after indicating he will plead guilty to the charges. 

Sen-Constable Kieran Atkin appeared briefly in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today where his lawyer said he would plead guilty to charges of unlawful assault, driving in a dangerous manner and making a false report.

Sen-Constable Atkin was charged after his partner Constable Brennan Roberts dobbed him into his superiors.

Constable Roberts, who last October was fined $3000 without conviction for making a false report, alleged his partner punched their victim up to six times in the face after pulling the man over on August 22 last year.


During that hearing, the court heard the man spent more than four hours in the lockup before being charged with reckless conduct endangering life.

The court heard a personal video camera attached to the police car’s ceiling captured most of the alleged attack.

The incident happened when the two officers saw an unregistered Honda on the Melton Highway in Sydenham.

Sen-Constable Atkin, who was driving the car and owned the camera, activated its lights and sirens and followed the Honda for about 2km until it attempted to reverse up a driveway.

Neither officer called headquarters to advise they were in a pursuit.

The court heard the victim had been unaware the police car was following him.

Footage shows Constable Roberts get out and approach the car’s passenger door before Sen-Constable Atkin reverses and rams the car, sending its rear into a brick letterbox.

The court heard the officer then switched the camera off and over the next four minutes allegedly beat the stunned driver as he sat in the car.

The subsequent camera footage allegedly captured audio of Sen-Constable Atkin telling his partner what to tell their boss, ordering him to say the victim had aimed his car at them and heavily rammed their car while they were in it.

Neither officer mentioned the incident had been recorded.

Constable Roberts, who claimed he felt pressured and intimidated by his partner, maintained the lie for four days before confessing to his superiors.

The court heard Sen-Constable Atkin allegedly tried to delete the camera footage, but it was recovered off an external hard-drive he had used to back the files up.

Sen-Constable Atkin will reappear in court on February 24.

news.com.au 9 Dec 2014

Another misleading headline by the corporate media.

"Policeman allegedly.."  there is no allegedly. He factually committed the offence.

Another criminal cop from Melbourne's western district.

Total scum of the earth.

To Serve and Protect. yeah ???