Lawyer alleges brutality at meth arrest

A Christchurch lawyer is alleging police brutality and challenging the validity of his arrest and the search that followed, in which the police say they found two bags of methamphetamine.

Evidence of how Steven Welch Rollo was arrested at a service station in Hoon Hay was put before Judge Josephine Bouchier at a judge-alone trial in Christchurch District Court yesterday. Rollo, 42, denies refusing to give his name and address to a police officer, and possession of class A drug methamphetamine.

The Crown alleges that after his arrest, two bags containing methamphetamine were found in the pocket of his motorcycle jacket, and his jeans. Prosecutor Pip Currie said Rollo told police he had not worn the jacket for a long time and did not know what was in there, and he had just been at a place where he must have picked up the bag found in his jeans when he picked up his knife and keys from a table.

Constable Mark Webb said he and other police were at the service station about 11pm on July 1, 2016, when Rollo drove in on a Harley-Davidson and filled it with petrol. He left his full-face helmet on as he went inside to pay, despite a sign requesting people take helmets off.

Webb followed him out of the shop and asked him for identification. He said he was allowed to request the information under the Land Transport Act.

He said Rollo said he was not entitled to ask for the details unless he was riding his motorcycle at the time. Rollo was warned he could be arrested and still refused to supply his details. After being taken to a police car, Rollo agreed to get his driver licence out of his cellphone folder, then began apparently filming police on his iPhone. He was arrested, handcuffed and placed in the police car. Webb described Rollo as ‘‘fidgeting, skipping around, and seemed quite agitated’’. He referred to him as aggressive, uncooperative and belligerent.

Defence counsel James Rapley accused Webb of telling nine lies in his formal written statement, including ‘‘smashing’’ Rollo up against the police car. Webb said Rollo was placed against the car as he was brought under control, but there had been no ‘‘smashing’’.

Rapley suggested Rollo had been injured on his right arm, left elbow and wrist, and produced photographs of the injuries. The trial is continuing.