Dennis Gundrill dismissed after misleading police bosses on his relationships with women
A POLICE officer found not guilty of corruption has been dismissed from the force for misleading bosses on relationships with women he met while on the job.
Law & Order
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A POLICE officer found not guilty of corruption charges today was dismissed from the force because he misled his bosses about his relationships with women he met in the course of his duties, it can be revealed.
Dennis Gundrill was today found not guilty of perjury charges that flowed from the arrest of two teenagers in the early hours of Christmas Day 2014.
But his partner Simon Mareangareu was found guilty of assault and perverting the course of justice over the incident which saw the teens complain of police brutality.
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The Police Appeals Board last year refused to allow Mr Gundrill to serve in the force because he had formed relationships with women he met in the course of his duties and then misled his superiors.
The information was revealed during legal argument that was kept from the jury during the trial.
Prosecutor Bruce Walmsley QC earlier said the deleted footage was only recovered after the teen’s father paid a “significant sum” to experts normally used by police to recover the footage.
“It was a guilty mind that deleted the video,” Mr Walmsley said.
In the footage Mr Mareangareu yells at one of the teens who was trying to spell his unusual name before allegedly assaulting him.
“Weren’t you listening smart-arse,” Mr Mareangareu was recorded as saying.
One of the teens can be heard complaining that his arm was being twisted during the arrest.
“This is harassment.....Get off my arm,” he can be heard saying.
The teens were originally told they were being stopped about burglaries in the area, which can also be heard on the video.
But Mr Walmsley said one of the boys was found with cannabis which was discovered in a backpack that was searched after the alleged assault.
It was later claimed they were stopped because one of the officers could “smell marijuana”.
Both boys were also charged with assaulting police and resisting arrest, charges Mr Walmsley described as being “part of a matrix” of an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Mr Mareangareu pleaded not guilty to intentionally causing injury, while both he and Mr Gundrill have pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment, attempting to pervert the course of justice and perjury.
The teens were on their way home from a friends house when they were stopped by the officers on Canterbury Road in Ringwood.