General
NT police officer Benjamin Skene, who capsicum sprayed handcuffed prisoner, guilty of aggravated assault
A Northern Territory police officer has been found guilty of aggravated assault, after the 41-year-old used capsicum spray on a handcuffed man in 2018.
Key points:
- The Alice Springs Local Court heard Benjamin Skene used capsicum spray on a handcuffed prisoner who was locked in the back of a paddy wagon
- The prisoner spat on Skene and repeatedly kicked the inside of the paddy wagon
- Judge Sarah McNamara found that Skene intended to “punish” the prisoner for challenging behaviour
In the Alice Springs magistrates court, Judge Sarah McNamara found that Benjamin Skene acted out of “malice” and “outside of his duties as a police officer” when he used the spray on a “challenging” prisoner.
“It does not fall within the duty of a police officer to mete…
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