Nearly an entire year after allegedly knocking his neighbour out with a heavy punch to the face, a Victorian policeman has been charged with assault.
Ballarat sergeant David Berry admitted to punching 32-year-old Samantha Mitchell in May last year, but said he was acting in self-defence.
Ms Mitchell claimed to have been deeply traumatised by the confrontation, which left her with a broken nose and dark purple bruising.
Ballarat sergeant David Berry (pictured) has been charged with assault a year after allegedly knocking his neighbour out with one punch in a midnight confrontation in May
Mr Berry, who has been charged on summons and is due to appear in Ballarat Magistrates Court on July 5, said the altercation left him ‘upset and shaking’.
‘I immediately threw a single punch with my right hand, fearing she was about to hit me and not knowing if she was holding anything,’ he said in a statement.
The woman was engaged in a heated argument with her partner about midnight on May 4 2017 when she ran ‘hysterically’ next door to Mr Berry’s house for help.
The couple’s relationship was known to be volatile, having required previous intervention from the Family Violence Unit of Ballarat police.
Ms Mitchell (pictured after being punched) claimed to have been deeply traumatised by the confrontation, which left her with a broken nose and dark purple bruising
Ms Mitchell claimed the officer told her to ‘f*** off’ before bursting through the door and chasing her down the street.
‘The one punch has impacted from my cheek to my nose, I hit the ground and was unconscious.
‘I recall when I woke it was still dark and I was covered in blood and in so much pain,’ her statement read.
She was shocked to be told Mr Berry was the one in need of protection when she went to report to incident to Ballarat police station the next morning.
The woman (pictured) was engaged in a heated argument with her partner about midnight May 4, when she ran ‘hysterically’ next door to Mr Berry’s house for help
‘Police hold fears for [Sgt Berry] as there have been numerous ongoing issues with [Ms Mitchell] confronting [Sgt Berry] and his wife when alcohol affected,’ the order said.
Two officers were initially cleared of the alleged attack of former policewoman Yvonne Berry at Ballarat station in 2015.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission later found the incident was an ‘alarming mistreatment of a vulnerable woman’, and the two officers were charged with unlawful assault in February 2017.
Mr Berry’s charge follows backlash against two Victoria Police officers who were caught on CCTV allegedly assaulting a disability pensioner outside of his own house.
Mr Berry (pictured), who has been charged on summons and is due to appear in Ballarat Magistrates Court on July 5, said the altercation left him ‘upset and shaking’