Drug search goes pear-shaped for Police

The courts have thrown out a police case against Kristian Bolwell, a Newtown solicitor, who was assaulted and arrested by police when he offered his card to a person they were searching for drugs in The Coopers Arms Hotel in Newtown. Mr Bolwell had two ribs broken by police during the arrest.

He was charged with resisting police and hindering police.

Costs of around $6,000 have also been awarded against the police after CCTV footage showed their case against Mr Bolwell, 37, to be based on lies.

Police claimed Mr Bolwell was moderately drunk, that he lectured them, repeatedly refused to back off and used his weight to push against an officer who was ‘walking him backwards’.

However CCTV footage and the testimony of the person being searched showed that Mr Bolwell had been calm and reasonable during the incident.

Mr Bolwell said a policeman kneed him in the ribs after he was pinned down. He was then handcuffed and arrested.

No drugs were found on the person being searched, even though he had been indicated by a sniffer dog after a squad of police had entered the Coopers Arms Hotel in Newtown and blocked off all the exits, before trawling patrons with the dog.

Mr Bolwell may sue for compensation. All costs of the case will be met by taxpayers.

“Sniffer dogs are a waste of taxpayers money, an infringement of human rights and they should be banned,” he said.