Ryan Dare: Police in Manly Wharf Bar assault on mate’s partner

A boozy Sunday session for a group of off-duty police officers has ended in court after an “annoying” cop slid his hand inside the jumper of his “best mate’s” girlfriend.

UPDATE

An “annoying” police officer who slid his hand inside the baggy jumper of his friend’s girlfriend during a boozy Sunday session has had his criminal conviction wiped on appeal.

Ryan Nicholas Dare, 39, was sentenced to a nine-month community corrections order in April after pleading guilty to the common assault of a woman, aged in her mid 20s, who was dating a man he described as his “best mate”.

The serving police officer, described by colleagues in court documents as “socially awkward”, had been drinking with off-duty officers at a Curl Curl house party then kicked on to Manly’s Wharf Bar in June 2019.

At the venue Dare pestered the woman by playing with her hair and putting his arm around her. Eventually, the drunk man came up behind the same woman and put his hand up her jumper and touched her rib area, leading to him being kicked out of the venue.

The police officer was demoted from the position of acting senior leading constable following the incident and suspended with pay following his conviction and sentence in Central Local Court in April.

In Sydney District Court on Thursday, Judge Craig Smith SC told Dare his crime wasn’t “trivial”.

“No person, particularly a female, in any setting, particularly a social setting with colleagues and friends, should have to put up with that behaviour in any way,” he said.

The appeal was upheld and, after considering Dare’s mental health issues and previous good character, he was sentenced to a 12-month conditional release order without conviction.

EARLIER

BY DANIEL MCGOOKIN ON APRIL 16, 2021

A boozy Sunday session for a group of off-duty police officers ended in court after an “annoying” cop slid his hand inside the baggy jumper of his “best mate’s” girlfriend.

Ryan Nicholas Dare, 39, was an acting leading senior constable with the Northern Beaches Police Area Command and thought he was best mates with a male colleague and his younger girlfriend.

The truth was, according to documents tendered to Central Local Court, that they simply “tolerated” Dare.

The agreed statement of facts reveal the police officer was “not well-liked” by some of his colleagues, who found him “annoying and socially awkward”.

Dare’s colleagues found him “annoying”. Picture: Joel Carrett

An off-duty police party at a Curl Curl home in June 2019 saw the trio sink a mixture of rum, whisky, wine and beer before they kicked on to Manly’s Wharf Bar with other work friends.

According to court documents when sitting at a table Dare began to pester his colleague’s girlfriend by playing with her hair and putting his arm around her. The woman, aged 25, shifted seats a number of times in a polite effort to get away.

The court heard the woman never verbally told Dare the touching was unwanted.

When she was speaking to her boyfriend and another off-duty police officer, Dare came up from behind. The woman offered him a slice of pizza which he refused, before putting his hand up her jumper and touching her ribs for about two to three seconds.

A partygoer grabbed Dare and wheeled him away saying “you do know that’s (police officer’s) missus”, the police facts state.

The police officer had been drinking rum, whisky and alcoholic ginger beer. Picture: Joel Carrett

When Dare said “yeah”, the man said “then what the f**k are you doing”.

Security kicked Dare out of the venue with the woman soon breaking down in tears, saying to a friend “why did he have to do this to me”.

Court documents detail Facebook messages sent that night, writing to the woman “hey sorry appariantly (sic) my bad” and to her boyfriend “mate I would never play with you and (woman’s name)”.

The court heard as part of a NSW Police risk management plan Dare was shifted to Ku-ring-gai Police Area Command and effectively demoted from a position he was acting in.

His guilty plea came four days into a hearing in which Dare was accused of a more serious charge of sexual touching, which was later withdrawn.

Magistrate Kate Thompson said the victim had a right to drink and safely socialise with friends without being assaulted.

Dare, 39, was convicted of common assault and sentenced to a nine-month community corrections order. He has lodged an appeal to the severity of the Local Court sentence.