Three years ago Andrew Kemp was dragged from his bed, beaten and tasered by police for breaching his bail conditions. A police officer was later convicted of common assault over the incident. But Kemp still suffers from his injuries, and is no longer able to work.
“I’ve suffered. I’ve suffered for three years in pain. I’m still suffering now. I still wake up with a f*cking headache, it feels like a knife and a pen stuck in my ear. It doesn’t go away ...”
Kemp was initially charged with possession of marijuana and intent to sell. From there he was released on bail to his home.
Kemp says he was given an order to return to his home and was promised that an arrest would not be made while he was on bail.
“They show up at my house at 3 o clock in the morning, drag me out of my house naked. Tasered me four times on my bed, bashed me on the way out. Smashed me on the street, kneeled on my head till they broke the side of my face. Threw me in the paddy wagon with a bag on my head and took me to the cells.”
That was in 2020 when Kemp was arrested for breach of bail while living at the address given to him by the police.
Still hurting
However, three years on the hurt still chews away at him. He is currently on ACC, which covers 80% of his wages but it is his family he says who is missing out.
“Losing 20% of your money for three years, you add that up that’s 20% of stuff my kids have missed out on, 20% of going to the pools with them. 20% extra they could’ve had. Nothing now, I can’t give them my full 100%.”
In June the 42-year-old went to court for a prosecution against the police officers who arrested him that night. One, a sergeant, was convicted of common assault and ordered to pay $4000 in emotional harm reparations. He was then made to step down from his position as sergeant.
“I knew I was going to win because they did wrong. They gave me a letter to say that I was allowed at home and then two weeks later they come and arrest me. They dragged me out of my house naked. That’s wrong there, you’re not allowed to do that. You’ve got to treat people with dignity and respect.”
