Officer believed man assaulted by other cop, court told

A police officer has told a court that he assumed off-duty officer Clint Hill had assaulted a man who was subsequently run over by a truck after several events that evening.

However, Constable Benson Murphy told a High Court jury that he subsequently lied about the events at a Coroner's Court inquest, and that he didn't ask another colleague what happened following "strong disapproval" from colleagues.

Hill, 35, is on trial charged with assaulting George Harris in the early hours of October 3, 2004, and with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Mr Harris was allegedly assaulted in the back of a police car before fleeing and then being fatally struck by a cleaning truck.

Hill says the assault never happened.

Mr Murphy said he had gone to the place where the car of a drunk driver was parked waiting to be impounded in Manukau along with his colleague Constable Reuben Harris when they were waved down by Hill.

He said Hill and George Harris, whom Hill had apprehended, got in the car, and then a short time later Hill told him (Mr Murphy) to get out of the car.

Mr Murphy said he got out of the car as he was in the process of doing so anyway to attend to the impounded car, and because he respected the six months of seniority that Hill had over him.

The car containing Hill, Reuben Harris and George Harris then went behind the Westpac Bank, Mr Murphy said.

He said he felt uneasy shortly after the car left, and "more uneasy" when it returned without George Harris.

After the three officers sat there a while, Hill then said "let's go get him".

Shortly afterwards they found George Harris at the side of the road. Mr Murphy said he asked Hill if he'd given George Harris a hiding, to which Hill responded that he couldn't find a pulse.

After further discussions at the scene, Mr Murphy and Reuben Harris headed back to the police station.

Mr Murphy said he asked his colleague if Hill had assaulted George Harris, to which he received no reply.

He said that discussion, along with Hill's actions, his mood on the night and the sequence of events, led him to believe there had been an assault.

He said he did not ask Reuben Harris again about what had happened because there had been "strong disapproval" expressed by fellow officers.

Mr Murphy said he did not tell the truth about what happened in job sheets, statements and at the coroner's inquest.

Under cross-examination from Hill's lawyer John Haigh QC, Mr Murphy on several occasions insisted that the account he was giving the court today was the correct one.

- NZPA