Officer beat handcuffed man, court told

A junior police officer has described how a fellow policeman punched a handcuffed prisoner in a patrol car until he fell unconscious.

The man accused of the attack, Constable Alexander Grant, who is currently stood down from the police, was yesterday committed to face trial on a charge of injuring with intent to injure Manurewa man Hemi Koia.

A fellow officer who witnessed the incident said Grant was "very angry, wound up and out of control".

Constable Wayne Mead, who was sitting in the back seat of the car at the time of the incident, gave evidence against his colleague at a depositions hearing yesterday in the Papakura District Court.

Mr Koia, who was drunk at the time, was being taken to the Papakura police station in the early hours of July 12, 2003.

He said he had drunk between 15 and 20 beers when police called to investigate disorderly behaviour after a party at this house came to his door.

He recalled yelling abuse at the police, being arrested and put into the patrol car.

Mr Koia said he was sitting in the car, with his hands cuffed behind his back, when Grant "backhanded" him across his face as they were leaving his house.

"He said 'right you little ... get smart now'."

Mr Mead said Mr Koia swore back.

"It was at this stage that [Grant] started to punch Koia in the face with a closed fist. He punched and elbow-stuck him approximately 15 to 20 times to the face, head and upper body.

"It was obvious to me that [Grant] was very angry, wound up and out-of-control."

"During the assault the defendant was talking to Koia in a loud, stern, strong voice saying things like 'don't you ... call me pig ...' and 'you've got no ... respect for police'."

Mr Mead said at one stage Mr Koia "went silent and felt limp".

"I could see he was unconscious. [Grant] seemed concerned at this point and said, ' ... we'd better get an ambulance'."

"I was ... myself because I thought the defendant had killed him."

Mr Mead said Grant seemed worried and gently slapped Mr Koia's face until he regained consciousness.

At the police station Mr Mead noticed blood on both his and Grant's duty jackets. There was also blood in the back seat of the car, which had to be professionally cleaned.

Mr Koia said Grant dragged him out of the car at the station which "made me lose balance and fall to the ground".

"He was telling me to get up. He started dragging me along the ground."

Mr Koia was processed and spent the night in the cells before being bailed to his home.

"I was annoyed about what happened and smacked the missus and got locked up again that day."

Mr Koia, who was charged with resisting police, threatening to kill and disorderly behaviour, said he didn't bother reporting the assault.

"I didn't do that because I felt I lost my mana, that I wasn't a good host [at his party the night before] and also failed to appear in court."

Mr Mead said it was clear Mr Koia was not a threat to anyone while he was handcuffed in the back of the car, especially given that he was drunk and had been pepper-sprayed.

"I remember the incident distinctly as I was very junior in the police at the time. It has stuck with me and will do for a long time to come."