A Dunedin man who had a conviction for assaulting a police officer cancelled in the Dunedin District Court - and received an admission from police that his arrest was unlawful - is "very pleased".
"It's taken a year and been a struggle ... but it has turned out all right in the end," Mark Truesdale said last night.
The 35-year-old fibrous plasterer was charged with a Crimes Act assault after it was alleged he grabbed a police officer around the waist and in the groin area while being processed on July 17 last year.
He was sentenced to 200 hours' community work by Judge Stephen O'Driscoll in the Dunedin District Court on December 6 last year and completed 107 hours.
However, a re-hearing was held in the Dunedin District Court on Thursday before Judge Michael Crosbie after Mr Truesdale laid a formal complaint with police.
Following a review of the matter, Dunedin police prosecutors dropped the charge and Mr Truesdale had his conviction and sentence cancelledMr Truesdale said last night he pleaded guilty last year because he felt pressured seeing all the police in the court room.
"It was intimidating."
Southern District Police operations manager Inspector Dave Miller yesterday said police withdrew the charge after a review identified a factor in the initial arrest process that impacted on subsequent events, and resulted in the arrest being unlawful.
Insp Miller declined to say what the "factor" in the arrest process was, but said the reason the charge was withdrawn did not specifically relate to the complaint.
Requests for a copy of Mr Truesdale's letter of complaint were denied.
"We're not able to give you this information because it's a matter between police and the complainant," Insp Miller said.
"A complaint has been lodged with police in relation to this matter and it is currently under investigation."
Mr Truesdale said he could not say why police had agreed to drop the charge. He and the police "came to an agreement" which included a confidentiality clause, he said.
Police had told him he would receive a written apology in the next few days, he said.
