SA Police officer and former soldier, Karl Slink wins retrial after arrest assault conviction

An SA Police officer and former soldier has won the right to a retrial after a magistrate sentenced him.

An SA Police officer and ex-soldier who allegedly assaulted a man during an arrest has won the right to a retrial after a magistrate sentenced him for the crimes.

Earlier this month, former SAPOL officer Karl Slink successfully applied for an appeal on the decision of a magistrate who found him guilty of a violent assault during an arrest in January, 2022.

In the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court last November, magistrate Jayanthi Pandya sentenced Mr Slink to serve a two year good behaviour bond and convicted him of one count of aggravated assault, after he had already been suspended from the police force in July that year.

After pleading not guilty, a trial in the Magistrates Court found Mr Slink, 35, had struck the alleged victim during an arrest while he was trying to secure the man by his arms, but Ms Pandya said he had been “motivated only by fury”.

“Your actions included forceful blows on at least two occasions directly to the victim’s face, the body-worn footage shows you administered at least four strikes with a clenched fist in the direction of the victim’s upper body near where his head was positioned.

“You then kneed the victim to his side.”

Police officer Karl Slink will has the won the right to a retrial after allegedly assaulting a person during an arrest. Picture: Eva Blandis

The alleged incident, which occurred at a North Haven home, resulted in the arrest of someone who had previously been asked by police officers to leave the premises.

Slink was found guilty of aggravated assault causing harm in September last year after a three-day trial.

During her original decision, magistrate Pandya said Mr Slink’s behaviour was “out of character” and he had shown service to the community through his four years in the police force and time in the defence force.

Earlier this month, the South Australian Supreme Court found there were good reasons to set aside the conviction and remit the matter for a retrial.

Counsel for Mr Slink argued their client’s good character had not properly been taken into account.

Finding there were grounds for an appeal, Justice Adam Kimber said there was “no dispute at trial that (Mr Slink) struck the alleged victim”.

“(Mr Slink) admitted that, while arresting (the alleged victim), he delivered blows to his body, but maintained that all blows were necessary in order to effect a lawful arrest, and denied that any blow which might have struck his face was deliberate,” Justice Kimber said.

Justice Kimber allowed the appeal on the grounds that the deciding magistrate “misdirected herself as to the approach to be taken in relation to (Mr Slink’s) good character.

“The conviction must be set aside and the matter remitted to the Magistrates Court for retrial before a different Magistrate,” Justice Kimber ruled.

Mr Slink will return to court at a later date.

Originally published as SA Police officer and former soldier, Karl Slink wins retrial after arrest assault conviction