Veteran cop convicted of prisoner assault

A Geelong police sergeant who repeatedly kicked a prisoner while he was handcuffed and pinned to the ground will learn his fate on Friday.

Sergeant David Magher has been found guilty of assault after the incident was caught on CCTV at Corio Police Station in 2018.

A court was told Sergeant Magher was assisting other officers to remove a troublesome prisoner from a divvy van when the incident unfolded, according to a report in the Geelong Advertiser.

The man was laying face-down on the ground with his hands shackled above his head when the sergeant kicked him three times.

According to the Geelong Advertiser the magistrate told the court that Sergeant Magher "crossed the line" in the heat of the moment.

He ruled that the first kick was lawful but the second and third constituted assault.

Sergeant Magher, a 26-year force veteran, argued the kicks were reasonable given the prisoner's aggressive behaviour.

The man, who was later released from custody, died a week later from a prescription drug overdose.

Sergeant Magher is yet to decide whether he will appeal.

Picture: Corio Police Station [Geelong Broadcasters]