Ballarat Magistrates’ Court: Grant Egan faces assault charges over Delacombe arrest

A Ballarat police officer has been accused of ripping the helmet off a motorcyclist and punching him repeatedly during an arrest.

Victoria Police officer Grant Egan has fronted the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court over assault allegations following a Delacombe arrest in 2022. Picture: Zizi Averill

A police officer allegedly ripped the helmet from a motorcyclist’s head and punched him repeatedly during a “partially covert” operation on the outskirts of Ballarat.

Ballarat highway patrol’s Senior Constable Grant Egan faced Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, November 22 on assault charges after he allegedly punched a man in the face and body multiple times during an arrest.

The court heard Sen-Constable Egan was assisting in a police operation at a Delacombe address on April 3, 2022, when the alleged assault occurred.

Police received reports that a stolen car was at the address and attended to carry out a search warrant.

Grant Egan allegedly punched a restrained man in the face and body repeatedly during a police operation in April last year. . Picture: Supplied

The court heard officers made an arrest at the address, before turning the operation “partially covert” in an attempt to identify other potential offenders.

Sen-Constable Egan began patrolling the area in an unmarked police car before seeing a person of interest riding a motorcycle, heading in the direction of the property.

The court heard Sen-Constable Egan followed the person of interest and attempted to block him into the street, where the cyclist mounted a kerb in an attempt to get around marked and unmarked police cars.

Sen-Constable Egan allegedly collided with the man and motorcycle on a medium strip, where the man was thrown to the ground between the police car and the motorcycle.

The court heard the man was allegedly restrained on the ground by other police officers while Sen-Constable Egan got out of the car.

The motorcyclist has been arrested and remanded to Barwon Prison.

Sen-Constable Egan then allegedly “ripped the helmet from the man’s head” and allegedly began punching him to the head and upper body.

The court heard Sen-Constable Egan continued the alleged assault until another officer stepped in to separate the two men.

The court heard the man was restrained on the ground and “unable to protect himself” from Sen-Constable’s alleged attack.

The man was arrested and charged with possession of a drug of dependence and theft and remanded to Barwon Prison, where he later gave a statement containing the assault allegations to police.

Sen-Constable Egan is set to return to court on August 5, 2024 for a five-day contest hearing.