A former police officer was told to omit details from his report about an alleged assault between an off-duty police officer and a south Auckland man who died after running into the path of a street-sweeping truck while being chased, a jury was told today.
Name suppression for Clinton Lyall Hill, 34, was lifted yesterday when he appeared at the High Court in Auckland, charged with the manslaughter of George Tipene Harris on October 3, 2004.
Hill, who is suspended from duty, also faces two further charges of assault and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Mr Harris, 24, died from injuries received when he ran into the path of street sweeper while trying to escape from Hill, who had allegedly assaulted him, the jury was told.
On the second day of a trial expected to last two weeks, former police officer Benson Murphy told how his supervisor, Senior Sergeant Justin Tairua, put his hands up and said he did not want to know what happened when he arrived at the scene that night.
"I thought that was strange as he's my supervisor and I've known him for a while.
"I don't think I was in a good frame of mind to figure out what happened," Mr Murphy said.
When questioned by Crown prosecutor Stuart Grieve, QC, he said he was not in the police car when it left with Hill and Mr Harris inside it after Hill had waved it down as he and Mr Harris were walking to the Wiri police station, "I don't know what happened when the car went away and came back without George Harris.
"I didn't want to get Clint in trouble for something I knew nothing about," he said.
He was told by a sergeant, who has name suppression, that he had to say Hill had got into the car with Mr Harris. Mr Harris then got away from the car and Hill chased him.
"That was drummed into us a few times," Mr Murphy said.
"I remember asking if Clint had given him a hiding," he added.
"I really made my mind up that there must have been some altercation between Clint and George while the car was away," Mr Murphy said.
He added that the sergeant had told him to take the incident out of the story when writing up his jobsheet to cover up what had actually happened.
"Why did you omit details from this report?" Mr Grieve asked Mr Murphy.
"It was impressed into me from the sergeant that I had to omit the details to cover up what had happened so Clint wouldn't get into trouble," Mr Murphy said.
Mr Harris had been out drinking that night with three friends, the court heard.
The Crown alleges Hill and Mr Harris got into a scuffle near a south Auckland nightclub after Mr Harris tried to grab Hill's cellphone and ripped his jacket.
Hill identified himself as a police officer and said he arrested Mr Harris and started walking him to the Wiri Rd police station while his friends followed behind.
The Crown alleges that a police patrol car drove past and Hill waved it down.
The two officers inside agreed to give Hill and Mr Harris a lift to the police station.
Hill is alleged to have assaulted Mr Harris in the back seat of the patrol car, before continuing the assault outside the car.
Mr Harris escaped and fled. The Crown alleges Hill went after him in the car before continuing his pursuit on foot, until Mr Harris ran into the path of the street sweeper and later died from his injuries.
