Whitsunday business woman Heidi Ward sues QLD Police for $1.2m

A Whitsunday businesswoman who a jury found not guilty of assault in just 12 minutes is suing the Queensland Police Service alleging wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution.

A Whitsunday businesswoman who successfully fought a number of charges against her is now suing the Queensland Police Service for $1.289m over what she alleges was a wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution.

Heidi Ward, who contested the Division 2 seat at the 2020 Whitsunday council election, was arrested and charged with assaulting a security guard and other street-type offences over an alleged incident in December 2019 in and near the Airlie Beach Hotel.

She took the assault matter to Mackay District Court where she represented herself during a one day trial in May 2021 – a jury took 12 minutes to find her not guilty and Judge Brad Farr labelled it “one of the most trivial matters I have ever encountered in my 30-odd years in the law”.

Then in September that year six remaining charges stemming from that 2019 incident – including assault and obstruct police, commit public nuisance in or near a licensed premises and wilful damage of police property – were dropped when police offered no evidence.

Now Ms Ward has filed a damages claim in Mackay Supreme Court against the QPS totalling $1,289,283 over allegations including excessive force, negligence, false arrest and harassment.

In the detailed claim, filed in August 2022 and sighted by this publication, Ms Ward has made complaints against police treatment during and after her arrest in December 2019, including officers were “cowardly and brutal and their conduct was contemptuous”.

Whitsunday businesswoman Heidi Ward is suing Queensland Police for $1.289m over allegations linked to her arrest in December 2019.

She has alleged she was “repeatedly mocked and (baited) by police in the holding cell” where she spent eight hours.

She further alleged she was “frightened and still did not understand why she had been arrested, the police were violent and continued to mock and (bait)” her.

She also alleged police ignored her claims that the security guard had assaulted her.

In her claim she states that footage showed she was “pushed in the chest with such excessive force … you can see (her) hit the back wall and fall over”.

Ms Ward alleged she felt harassed, threatened as was “living in fear in her own home” after police twice visited her home while she was on bail – the claim stated she varied her bail to have that condition removed.

She has alleged false imprisonment three times – on December 1, 2019, December 31, 2020 and January 27, 2021 – and malicious prosecution in her claim.

Ms Ward has further alleged when the police watchdog – the Ethical Standards Command – investigated her complaint over her treatment after she was found not guilty she was revictimised in the process.

She has alleged her business Sushi Whitsunday closed from financial loss linked to her inability to work because of post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.

This publication contacted QPS for comment – the organisation said: “As the matter is before the court we are unable to comment.”