A New South Wales court today heard police officers treated transgender woman Anya Bradford ‘like a dog’. Senior Constable Mark Follington faces charges of manufacturing a case against Bradford after the dropping of assault charges he filed against her.
The court heard Follington and another police officer spoke to Anya Bradford while conducting ID checks at a hotel in Liverpool.
Bradford went to the hotel with her friend on the way to a meeting with her parole officer. The two police initially approached Bradford at a poker machine and asked her for ID. When she could not produce ID, they moved on. However, when she went to leave the hotel, the police stopped her and a scuffle broke out.
Struck and tasered
Bradford told the court one officer struck her while the other grabbed her and told her she was under arrest.
“I pushed him off me because he was hurting me. I asked what I was under arrest for.
“The larger officer grabbed me by the throat and pushed me into the ATM … I remember my head being slammed against the ATM multiple times.
“I just remember trying to defend myself. Once I managed to get out, I ran off to the door.
“I was shot in the neck with a taser.”
Bradford than ran out into the street, but was hot again by the taser. She then escaped into the parole office.
Like a dog
The police handcuffed Anya Bradford and dragged her out of the building housing the parole office.
“The larger officer picked me up by the handcuffs, like I was on a leash, like I was a dog. Then he dragged me out … laughing.”
Follingtons defence barrister Ray Hood asked Anya Bradford if she exaggerated her evidence or prompted the incident by telling the police ‘f*ck off’. She denied either.
Hood asked her, “Did you use the words, ‘f*ck you grunts?'”
“I highly doubt it.”
Assault charges
Follington later charged Bradford with assault, but the police then dropped those charges. Follington now faces charges of making up a case against her.
He has pleaded not guilty to a series of charges and the case continues.
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