Gold Coast Constable James Clark charged with assaulting stranger at Clear Island Waters

A Gold Coast police officer accused of assaulting a younger man he did not know at the time has been identified in court.

A Gold Coast police officer is facing several charges after an alleged assault on a stranger.

Constable James Michael Clark was not required to appear when his case was briefly mentioned in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old faces two charges of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Police allege Mr Clark’s altercation with another man, who was not known to him, unfolded at Clear Island Waters on July 26. He was not on duty at the time.

The other man, aged 31, allegedly sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Mr Clark was stood down with pay from the Queensland Police Service.
Defence solicitor James Treanor, of Quinn Law Group, asked for a four-week adjournment for case conferencing.

The case will return to court on November 7. Mr Clark remains on bail and will be excused from appearing at the next mention.

Any contact with his alleged victim is prohibited as a condition of his bail.

The QPS said in a statement at the time: “In keeping with our commitment to high standards of behaviour, transparency, and accountability, we have undertaken to inform the public when a member of the service faces serious allegations of misconduct.

“This does not mean that the allegations against the member have been substantiated.”

Originally published as Gold Coast Constable James Clark charged with assaulting stranger at Clear Island Waters