Titahi Bay Author Pepper Sprayed by Wellington Police

Last week the Wellington District Court received an application for a two week adjournment of a trial involving the Insolvency Service employee Cristian Pardo and a bankrupted Titahi Bay author John Creser facing a charge of using threatening language.

The adjournment was sought due to a serious medical condition and a medical certificate was delivered to the Court on Wednesday morning. However a coincidence that day led to the two men passing on the footpath outside the entrance to Parliament, with Mr Pardo subsequently complaining to the Police that Mr Creser had used the words “good morning Mr Pardo”

Consequently on Thursday, the District Court ordered an arrest warrant be executed even though the defendant had advised the police prosecutor, registry & the Crown Prosecutor that the proceedings would no longer be defended to minimize any inconvenience to the witnesses scheduled to appear.

The advice the warrant had been issued was not conveyed to the defendant and on Sunday afternoon the Wellington Police under the command of Superintendent Pieri Munroe arrived to arrest Mr Creser who was in bed at the time. After dressing, Mr Creser agreed to accompany the police and made his way to their vehicle.

Although willing to be cuffed with his hands forward, Mr Creser resisted when constable (774) Lee Underhill attempted to place his arms behind his back which seriously aggravated his medical condition. Constable Underhill then attempted to force Mr Creser’s hands behind his back after applying pepper spray whilst two others held his arms.

Fortunately a more experienced officer from the Porirua police was called to the scene and Mr Creser was taken into custody without further aggravating his medical condition.

Constable Underhill has worked under contract for the Evaluation Unit, of the Office of the Commissioner for NZ Police and in this case has showed a callous disregard for the application of her own recommendations regarding the cost/benefit/community considerations espoused by the Evaluation Unit report.

The Independent Police Complaints Authority has been asked to investigate.

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