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Byron Shire
March 24, 2023

Ballina cops to face trial over bashing

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Corey Barker outside Ballina court house. (file pic)
Corey Barker outside Ballina court house. (file pic)

Four police officers will stand trial next year accused of bashing an Aboriginal man at Ballina.

A total of 25 charges were laid against six officers after an incident involving Corey Barker at the Ballina police station in January 2011.

The 23-year-old was falsely charged with assaulting a constable.

But video  footage from Ballina police station, which police had said was unavailable, was repaired and showed Mr Barker allegedly being bashed and left handcuffed in a cell while he was injured.

The assault charge against Mr Barker was dropped after magistrate David Heilpern watched the video.

After a Police Integrity Commission (PIC) misconduct investigation, six former and serving officers were charged with numerous offences that include common assault, lying under oath and fabricating evidence.

ABC online has reported today that four of the men – Constable Lee Walmsley, Constable Ryan Eckersley, former Sergeant Robert McCubben and Senior Constable Mark Woolven – had appeared in Downing Centre Local Court today and were committed to stand trial after waiving their right to a committal hearing.

The court heard a fifth officer will also waive his right to a committal hearing,’ the ABC reported.

The men are due back in court later this year. Their trial will be in 2015.

The PIC report ruled that the treatment of Mr Barker by officers was “violent”.

The four officers have pleaded not guilty.

 


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