Nitin Sawhney reports alleged police brutality

Whilst on their way to Melbourne's Good Vibrations Festival last Sunday, English musician Nitin Sawhney along with his other band members were witness to an alleged brutal assault made by Victorian Police.

The witness report stated that a man who was reportedly driving a stolen car was beaten repeatedly, dragged through the car's smashed passenger window, and had his head slammed against the roof before being pulled to the ground where he was punched and kicked.

Mr Sawhney said "a policeman approached the slow-moving car and smashed the window before getting into the car with the driver, repeatedly whacking the guy over the head with both his fists and his truncheon.

Another load of them just went around the side, to the passenger seat and they pulled the driver out... so that they whacked his head over onto the roof of the car."

"As far as we could see, they were in a complete and utter frenzy, trying to beat the crap out of the guy to the point where I would be amazed if he was actually in any condition to talk to anybody because, I mean, most of us in the van believe they were trying to kill him."

Singer Tina Grace, said "It looked like a yob-mob on a violent rampage who just had orders to kill if they wanted."

Another singer, Davinder Singh, added the man was beaten with "the utmost brutality".

A Melbourne resident who was not part of the group and who wishes to remain anonymous said "the man never had a chance to surrender peacefully. He was being hit by about four or five policemen. He didn't have a chance to run or fight back."

"He was wailing in pain. They had him lie down on the ground and every time he would lift up his head, an officer would punch him in the back of his head to keep him lying down face first."

"I thought the police were acting like animals," he said. "He did appear to stop (the car)... and give himself up. He must have a couple of cracked ribs. These were full blows in the face and in the ribs and in the body with a truncheon."

Facing the Melbourne Magistrate Court briefly yesterday for 30 offences including burglary, theft, reckless driving, dangerous driving and assaulting police, Raymond William Merritt's lawyer Jenny Clark had the hearing adjourned as her client was suffering the effects of an epileptic seizure.

A police spokeswoman said that the car was reported stolen from Crown Casino around 4.25pm on Sunday. The car, fitted with a global positioning system, was found and immobilised and despite numerous requests from police Merritt refused to leave the car. "Then police have used the baton to arrest the man," the spokeswoman said.

Merritt was taken to hospital following his arrest then placed in police custody. Acting Superintendent John Manley said yesterday: "There's no evidence that police have acted inappropriately."

Source: The Age
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