Court Slams Police Claims After Man Suffers 12 Broken Ribs in Custody

#gridsparta #bikies A shocking police assault case has reignited questions about police accountability after a court found officers colluded and provided false evidence following a violent arrest that left a man fighting for his life. The case centres on Brad Kellson, who suffered 12 broken ribs and a punctured lung after being repeatedly kneed by a police officer inside Blacktown Police Station in November 2021. According to court findings, Kellson and his partner had been drinking in Blacktown when police were called to reports of a disturbance. Officers believed he may have been involved in a domestic violence incident, despite having no evidence at the time. Kellson was arrested and taken into custody. Court later found out that the arrest was unlawful, meaning everything that followed was also unlawful. Body-worn camera footage showed Kellson being handcuffed after arguing with officers. While in custody at Blacktown Police Station, CCTV footage captured a confrontation between Kellson and Leading Senior Constable Mark Davis. After Kellson touched the officer's body-worn camera, Davis swung him across the room with what a magistrate later described as "enormous force". As several officers attempted to place Kellson into a holding cell, Davis repeatedly kneed him in the ribs. The attack left Kellson struggling to breathe. He was rushed to hospital and spent four days in intensive care with multiple fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. The incident had a devastating impact on his life. Kellson later said he lost his job, suffered depression and experienced suicidal thoughts following the assault. What happened next would become just as controversial as the assault itself. Officers involved in the incident charged Kellson with assaulting police and resisting arrest. During later court proceedings, Magistrate Debra Maher found there had been clear and deliberate collusion between officers when preparing their statements. The magistrate noted that sections of two officers' statements were virtually identical, even containing the same spelling mistakes. She rejected evidence given by Davis and questioned his credibility. An appeal court later went even further. District Court Judge Stephen Hanley found police had attempted to "patch up" their case through collusion and false evidence, concluding it was done to avoid findings against officers who had brutally assaulted Kellson. Despite those findings, NSW Police initially failed to notify the state's police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, about the adverse judicial comments. NSW Police later conducted internal investigations into the matter. While some findings resulted in management action, all officers involved were cleared of dishonesty and no criminal charges were laid against them. Meanwhile, all criminal charges against Kellson arising from the incident were either withdrawn or dismissed. Kellson later sued NSW Police and received a significant financial settlement, although the exact amount remains confidential. The case comes amid growing concern over police misconduct complaints across New South Wales. Official figures show complaints against officers have increased significantly over the past decade, while only a small number of officers face criminal charges following misconduct investigations. Today, Leading Senior Constable Mark Davis remains a serving police officer. However, it will be interesting to see whether this case leads to greater scrutiny of police accountability and the way misconduct complaints are investigated in New South Wales. Follow Grid Sparta on Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/GridSparta Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GridSparta Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/GridSparta Reditt: https://www.reddit.com/r/Gridsparta