KEY POINTS:
Four Bay of Plenty police officers accused of assaulting a man in the Whakatane police station cells with weapons can now be named.
The four are each charged with assault with a weapon, including a police baton and pepper spray.
Sergeant Keith Derek Parsons, 52, Sergeant Erle Busby, 46, Senior Constable Bruce Gordon Laing, 54, and Constable John Edmund Mills, 38, are jointly charged following a police investigation into the alleged assault of a 20-year-old Whakatane man in the cells on October 23 last year.
Their lawyer, Rachel Adams, appeared in the Whakatane District Court yesterday on behalf of the officers for a pre-depositions hearing.
The officers' appearances were excused.
Ms Adams told Judge Thomas Ingram she would not be seeking continued name suppression and asked for a second pre- depositions hearing on March 7 with the defendants' attendance also excused on that date.
Amanda Gordon represented the Crown.
The officers were suspended on full pay when criminal charges were laid and have been on bail since their first court appearance.
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
