Officer was ‘angry’, assault trial told

TWO COLLEAGUES of a Tayside police officer accused of assaulting suspects in custody say he was “upset” and “angry” during a drugs arrest in Perth.

Detective Constable Brian Young told Dundee Sheriff Court that his colleague DC Russell Gillespie was “clearly angry about something” and “was shouting towards Mr Stewart”.

David Stewart had been arrested after running off from police when the van he was travelling in was stopped by drugs squad officers in a surveillance operation.

He said he was holding Mr Stewart, who was compliant and in handcuffs, when DC Gillespie arrived.

Asked by depute fiscal Beverley Adam what DC Gillespie was shouting to Mr Stewart, DC Young said he could not recall the exact words but he said Gillespie had come “face to face” with Mr Stewart, forcing him backwards against railings, although there was no physical contact.

He said DC Gillespie and another officer took Mr Stewart away and told the court Mr Stewart was not injured at the time.

But when he saw him later at a search of his home he had a red mark on his face, saying he had been punched by a police officer.

DC Gillespie denies 11 charges dating back to November 2009, including assaulting Mr Stewart in February 2010.

He also denies assaulting six other men, Alastair Carrie, Christopher McIntosh, David Brown, David Donald, Maurice Fraser and William Forbes, between November 2009 and September 8 2011.

Gillespie has lodged a special defence of self-defence in one of the charges involving Mr Stewart.

Custody Sergeant Gordon Gray said another suspect, Mr Fraser, had been brought in to the charge bar at Dundee HQ in May 2011 and had complained about being assaulted by a police officer.

He said: “He complained that he had been punched in the face.”

Later that night, Sgt Gray said, Mr Fraser wanted to make a complaint about the assault but was told by the sergeant that it would be dealt with at the end of his detention.

He said he went off shift shortly afterwards and had no involvement in any complaint.

Senior primary care nurse Jacqueline Reid, who is based at Bell Street HQ in Dundee, said just before midnight on May 31 2011 she had been asked to assess Mr Fraser’s injuries and reported that he had slight swelling to the right side of his nose and a 1cm abrasion at the same area.

She said the patient alleged he had been punched on the face by a police officer and had a broken nose but needed no treatment.

Mr Donald, who had given evidence stating he had been kicked between the legs by DC Gillespie while he was lying face down in handcuffs, was told by defence advocate Shelagh McCall that a witness said he saw him “struggling with three police officers”.

He replied: “That’s not true. Is it acceptable for the officer to kick me in the groin while I’m on the ground?”

The trial continues.