Buff Point: William Peter Kershaw pleads not guilty to assaulting police
A man charged with assaulting police during a violent arrest has pleaded not guilty. It comes as allegations he choked a female officer and twisted the genitalia of a male officer were dropped.
Central Coast
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A man charged with assaulting two police officers who were responding to a domestic incident at Buff Point last year has pleaded not guilty.
William Peter Kershaw, 36, of Buff Point faced Wyong Local Court on Tuesday where a solicitor acting on behalf of his lawyer Damien Conn entered not guilty pleas to four counts of assaulting police, four counts of resisting arrest, damaging property and one count of a domestic violence-related intimidation.
Charge sheets allege police were called to a home on Buff Point Ave, Buff Point, about 10.25pm on Tuesday, June 16 last year, after reports of a domestic incident.
On arrival, police were approached by Mr Kershaw who allegedly became increasingly violent and resisted arrest.
A struggle ensued when the officers attempted to arrest him and he allegedly spat in the male officer’s face before allegedly punching a female officer in the face several times and dragging her to the ground by her hair.
Police will allege in court a clump of hair was ripped from her scalp during the arrest.
Mr Kershaw was charged with choking the female officer and twisting the male officer’s genitalia but those offences of intentionally choking and sexual touching were withdrawn and dismissed on Tuesday, along with one count each of affray, threatening to injure someone to prevent lawful detention and intimidating police.
Both senior constables were taken to John Hunter Hospital for treatment to soft tissue injuries.
The incident was one of several high profile alleged assaults on officers last year which prompted Police and Emergency Services Minister David Elliott to issue a statement.
“Last week, I referred the issue of assaults against police officers to the Law and Safety Parliamentary Committee to seek a better understanding of community attitudes towards police as well as an assessment of whether current penalties and offences are sufficient in light of the disgusting assaults that have been reported recently,” he said at the time.
Police released body worn footage of the arrest, which shows Mr Kershaw yelling “I can’t breath” before he allegedly kicks one of the officers and grabs hold of the other officer as she screams.
“f**k you, you f**king dickhead. You’re a f**kwit. You want a smash c**t,” Mr Kershaw is heard yelling in the footage.
He will be arraigned on June 3 at Gosford District Court.
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