Off-duty PSNI officer allegedly assaulted colleagues
Const Brush, 31, faces charges of common assault and driving with excess alcohol
- Published
A drunk off-duty police officer allegedly assaulted two fellow officers at a wedding, a court has been told.
Constable Marcus Brush had an argument with his partner at a wedding in the Galgorm in September, Coleraine Magistrates' Court heard.
After the argument, Mr Brush was told by a groomsman 鈥渋n no uncertain terms that he was not welcome鈥.
Two officers who were guests at the wedding were 鈥渆scorting or shepherding鈥 Mr Brush back to his room when the 31-year-old allegedly assaulted them.
According to the witnesses, he elbowed both of them to the face before the pair restrained him on the ground until uniformed colleagues who were on duty came to the hotel.
Mr Brush, 31, whose address was given as c/o PSNI Brooklyn, Knock Road in Belfast, faces charges of common assault of the two men.
He also faces charges of driving with excess alcohol on the Fenaghy Road in Cullybackey and being in charge of a vehicle in the carpark of the Galgorm Manor Hotel at a time he was over the drink drive limit on 21 and 22 September last year.
Initially Mr Brush had also been charged with two further counts of common assault and using disorderly behaviour but those charges were withdrawn by the PPS.
'Avoid any further unpleasant scenarios'
Giving evidence on Monday one of the officers told the judge Mr Brush鈥檚 partner had asked him to get her bag from their room.
Mr Murphy told the prosecution that, believing Mr Brush was in the room already, he went to ask a colleague for help but as they went to leave the wedding reception, Mr Brush arrived back.
The officer said he tried to reason with Mr Brush and persuade him to go but he did not want to leave even though.
"I wanted to avoid any further unpleasant scenarios,鈥 he added.
The two men 鈥渆scorted鈥 Mr Brush out of the wedding venue and into the main hotel, the court heard.
According to the witnesses, he elbowed both of them to the face before the pair restrained him on the ground until uniformed colleagues who were on duty came to the hotel.
Under cross-examination from the defence lawyer it was revealed that while most of the incident in the corridor was captured on CCTV there was a two minute portion which was missing and unaccounted for.
鈥淭hat is the very portion when there was the altercation,鈥 said Mr Brush's lawyer.
'Further incident
During his cross examination, Mr Murphy revealed that he refused to make a statement or formal complaint that evening but when he went on duty the following day, he was summoned to his inspectors office and told that he was 鈥渄uty bound to make a statement鈥.
He said his inspector told him he 鈥渨ould be expected to make a statement鈥, especially as the incident had been upgraded to a 鈥済old level鈥 which would involve senior ranks, potentially up to chief superintendent, discussing the alleged incident.
Mr Murphy confirmed to the defence he was told there had been a 鈥渇urther incident鈥 allegedly involving Mr Brush later that evening and he agreed with the suggestion that 鈥渆ssentially, your free will in refusing to make a statement was taken away鈥.
The lawyer put it to both witnesses that Mr Brush had sustained bruising to his face and arms during the incident.
He asked the men if they could account for those injuries.
They said they could not and maintained they had acted properly in restraining the heavily intoxicated Mr Brush.
The trial continues.