Tuesday, May 28, 2013



Gold Coast surf shop worker claims to be second man brutally bashed at Surfers Paradise police station

A GOLD Coast surf shop worker claims to be the second man brutally bashed while handcuffed in the bowels of Surfers Paradise police station.

Josh Gowdie, 21, is suing the Queensland Police Service for tens of thousands of dollars in damages.

He claims he was assaulted and thrown into a brick wall inside the Orchid Ave police station in December, 2011.

CCTV footage of the incident, obtained by Mr Gowdie's lawyers, was broadcast last night by Channel 9.

Mr Gowdie was allegedly bashed a month before chef Noah Begic claims to have been subjected to similar police brutality in the basement of the Surfers police station. He, too, is suing the police service for a six-figure sum.

"The police can't be allowed to get away with this sort of thing," Mr Gowdie told The Courier-Mail last night. "The two officers who did this to me are not fit to be in the police service."

Mr Gowdie said the incident happened in Surfers in the early hours of December 5, 2011, when he was "standing up for a female who got arrested".

He said police pushed, shoved and punched him in the street before hurling him against a brick wall in a passageway inside the police station.  "I didn't do a single thing to deserve it," he said.

"I told them I'd had shoulder surgery and they (police) said they'd dislocate my shoulder again.  "I suffered multiple injuries including cuts and bruising, grazes, claw marks and a chipped tooth and I still get flashbacks."

Mr Gowdie said he was speaking out now because he was frustrated at the slow pace of the police investigation.

A QPS spokeswoman said the investigation was ongoing.


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/gold-coast-surf-shop-worker-claims-to-be-second-man-brutally-bashed-at-surfers-paradise-police-station/story-e6frg6n6-1226651701797

2 comments:

Mrs Accountable said...

18 months later...unbelievable isn't it? This is exactly the same with QPS internal investigations. They all give lip service to the 'bad system' but count on it to achieve what they want to. When one considers the trauma the length of time investigations have taken, I personally believe the past Commissioner Bob Atkinson should not be on the panel for the Royal Commission into abuse. He, of all people could have changed the system. He obviously had no concern for the public or officers facing the lengthy investigative process, the stress and trauma caused. How could he understand the trauma experienced by the victims of abuse? He was only concerned about the corporate image of QPS that he considered he had no obligation to even communicate with police officers, unless it was on his terms for the PR of the service. Mr Atkinson failed the public and police officers dishonestly targeted as pay back in his duty of care. Had he been genuinely concerned about people who were abused why didn't he pressure the government for a Royal Commission? It was only due to a police officer, now himself targeted, and the then Prime Minister, Julie Gillard that we now have a Royal Commission. As usual Mr Atkinson will receive the glory and enormous remuneration.

Mrs Accountable said...

Mr Atkinson past Police Commissioner Atkinson, in fact, acted exactly the same as the heads of these schools and churches who considered the public imagine more important than the rights of the abused person. The corporate world ignored the dreadful treatment to children by monsters only intent on their own personal gratification at the expense of the children. Commissioner Atkinson ignored wrong to officers solely to protect the image of the QPS. He failed in his duty of care when he ignored the dishonesty within QPS. He failed to be concerned that officers could have their integrity stripped from them by other officers who lied. He failed to be concerned that officers lost their careers due to the lies told by more senior officers whose only concern was to protect their own career paths, promotions and huge supers. Was Commissioner Atkinson any different to the people who ignored reports from the abused children? I think not. He could not empathise with police officers who appealed to him about the system, how can he understand how these children felt.