Cop Claims Could Result in Lawsuits
Posted: Thursday, October 9th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
A University of Auckland legal expert has said that revelations from a former officer that he deliberately gave false evidence could lead to a range of problems, including convictions being quashed, lawsuits being filed, and compensation having to be paid out. Former officer, Patrick O’Brien, admitted that he deliberately gave false evidence, and this could lead to lawsuits being filed against the Crown.
The former copy became a chief witness for the Crown after infiltrating the world of drug dealers. However, having given false evidence he said that he felt guilty and that the issue had bothered him for the past thirty years, forcing him to come clean about what he had done.
The legal expert said that if someone is able to prove that they were innocent and were convicted due to false information extra gratia payments may be available from the Crown. He said: “There may also be the possibility of a civil lawsuit by the defendant against the Crown on the basis of the police officer’s intentional misconduct as an agent of the Crown.”
In an interview the former officer admitted that he was a corrupt officer, and he stated: “Some of the things we did were totally unacceptable … I had no right to be wearing that uniform.”
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