Gold Coast police officer charged with grievous bodily harm after incident in December 2021
A high-ranking Gold Coast police officer has been charged after alleged an incident understood to have occurred in the Southport watchhouse. Read the details.
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A high-ranking Gold Coast police officer has been charged with grievous bodily harm after an incident last year.
Sergeant Richard James Power was charged in August over an incident on December 9 last year, a Queensland Police spokesman on Tuesday confirmed.
It is understood the incident took place in the Southport Watchhouse.
It is alleged the 46-year old caused grievous bodily harm to a Nicholas Henry Leighton.
Grievous bodily harm means the injuries sustained by the alleged victim are either permanent or life-threatening if left untreated.
The Queensland Police Service ethical standards command investigated.
Power was first in court in late August and then appeared again on September 27.
The incident did not com e to light until this week after the Bulletin approached the QPS.
The officer is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on November 15.
It is understood the charge has only been laid in recent weeks and the officer has been suspended from duty.
Gold Coast Police chief superintendent Craig Hanlon said: “There are standards within the QPS that we all must maintain and if the conduct of some members falls below that then there are consequences.
“In this case the officer has been charged with a criminal offence and the matter is before the courts. We must always display professional conduct at all times.”
Chief Supt Hanlon could not go into detail while the matter was before the courts.
“There is a presumption of innocence … the police service will await for the matter to be finalised before the courts,” he said.
Potts Lawyers director Bill Potts said officers had an difficult job but this matter would be determined by the courts.
It is not the first time a Gold Coast police officer has been charged with a serious offence. In 2020 Zachary Maidment and two other officers were charged with drug possession after being found with cocaine at a birthday party.
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