NSW police to face prosecution over taser death

Last updated 18:45 27/05/2013

Fairfax Australia

EARLIER INQUIRY: Michael Reynolds, who is the brother-in-law, and Ana Luisa Laudisio de Lucca, sister of Roberto Laudisio Curti, leaving the Glebe Coroners Court after the inquiry into the death of Roberto after being tasered by police in Sydney.

The Australian police watchdog has recommended that a number of police officers involved in the death of Brazilian student Robert Laudisio Curti be considered for prosecution.

Curti, 20, died in the early hours of March 18 last year after officers tasered him 14 times, used capsicum spray, handcuffs and a baton and knelt on him after a chase through Sydney’s CBD.

His death has been the subject of a Police Integrity Commission (PIC) investigation into whether the police were involved in criminal conduct.

In a statement on Monday, the PIC said it had delivered a brief of evidence to the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) recommending it consider prosecuting a number of police officers.

A PIC spokeswoman told AAP she could not disclose how many officers were involved or their names.

More information will be made available once the PIC has heard back from the DPP.

Curti’s death has already been the subject of a number of inquiries.In her coronial findings, Magistrate Mary Jerram found the officers had acted ‘‘thuggishly’’ and she rejected some of their evidence.

NSW Ombudsman Bruce Barbour later released a report that criticised the police investigation because it failed to deal with the issue of police misconduct.