Cop accused of indecent exposure

A boy has shown a courtroom how he saw a drunken detective loop his
thumbs into his trousers before pulling them down and exposing his penis.

The boy, who was 11-years-old when the alleged incident took place, and his mother were outside the Pukekohe Salvation Army at 2am on New Year's Day.

He gave evidence today at the Pukekohe District Court, where a
detective who works out of Police National Head Quarters is facing a
charge of offensive behaviour.

The detective has been given interim name suppression by Judge Sharon McAuslan. No reasons were given.

The boy said he had been staying at a friend's slumber party when he
got homesick and called his Mum to come and pick him up.

On the way home, the pair stopped outside the Salvation Army to drop
some clothes off and were approached by a drunken man.

The boy said the man stopped his mother from driving away.

"I thought he was going to pull out a gun but he pulled out a police
badge," the boy told the court.

"I kept on saying: 'Just drive Mum, it doesn't matter. Just drive'," he said.

The boy said the police officer was drunk and swaying and his fly was down.

"He took a few steps backwards and grabbed his pants and I knew he was
going to pull them down so I looked away," he said.

The boy was asked by police prosecutor Kit Toogood to come out of the
witness box and show the court where the detective had his hands. The
boy looped his thumbs into his own pants.

"I was still scared and I did not know what he was going to do. I felt
sick - I was feeling quite faint."

Under cross examination by the detective's lawyer, Peter Kaye, the boy
was asked if his mother had told him what to say.

"No, just to tell the truth, which I am today," the boy said.

Mr Kaye asked him if he knew what colour the detective's pants were.

The boy said they were a dark colour - navy blue or black.

But Mr Kaye showed the boy the statement he had given to police on the
morning the alleged exposure took place.

"You didn't recall, did you? Who has told you about that?" Mr Kaye asked.

The boy replied: "My Mum."

He later clarified, under re-examination from Mr Toogood, that his Mum
only told him about the colour of the detective's pants and the rest
of his evidence was from his own memory.

Earlier, the boy's mother told the court that she was approached
outside the Salvation Army by a man who stood in front of her car and
stopped her from pulling out.

She said the man came around to the side of her car before asking: "What the F am I doing out on the street with my child at that time of
night."

"The words were slurred and not flowing and that's when I became aware
he was intoxicated," the woman said.

She said the man then reached into his jacket and showed her a
detective's badge.

The woman said she thought the man could have been to a dress-up party
and the badge could be fake so she wound down the window and took it
out of his hands.

But the badge looked authentic and the photograph in the wallet was of
the same drunk man who was in front of her, she said.

"I had a child who was begging me to just drive away but I explained
to my son that it was not appropriate action because he is a police
officer," the woman said.

She said she told the police officer that his fly was undone.

"He then looked down and he chuckled a little bit and stepped backwards.

"He began to fumble with the dome on his pants and he was still
chuckling as if he found the situation very funny. It was then that
his pants fell down to his knees area. I saw his penis," the woman
said.

She said thankfully her son was looking away.

The woman was then approached by another off-duty police officer who
she thought might be coming to help her.

"The man asked me what the f'n problem was," she said.

The woman said both police officers were obviously drunk.

She said she was fearful for her safety and that of her son and drove
around the block before heading to an all-night petrol station where
she asked staff to call police.

The woman said both men crossed the road and walked towards the petrol
station. She said one of the officers stood in the doorway to the
petrol station while she spoke to a staff member through the night pay
window and asked them to call police.

She said during that time the second detective, who has since had
charges dropped, walked into the petrol station and asked staff
members: "What the F is she ringing police for?"

When the staff ignored him, he threw a packet of chips at the staff
member and said: "This service is F'n sh**," the woman said.

She said two young constables arrived and when they learned that the
two other men were detectives, they called for their shift sergeant
who arrived a short time later.

The two men were arrested.

Under cross examination by the detective's lawyer, Peter Kaye, the
woman confirmed she has a business selling second hand clothing on the
internet.

Mr Kaye asked her if she was telling the truth about dropping clothes
at the Salvation Army. She said she was telling the truth.

Mr Kaye said nothing ever happened at her car window.

The woman responded: "I understand that it is your job."

Mr Kaye also asked if the woman had a "chip on your shoulder" when it
came to police.

"I've met some extraordinary, admirable officers. I've also had
problems with them, yes I have," she said.

Mr Kaye asked her about previous dishonesty and theft charges.

The woman admitted she had had some problems when she was younger.

Mr Kaye finished the cross examination by asking: "At no stage did
[name suppressed] lower his pants. That's a lie."

The woman responded: "You can say that but I will not deviate from the
truth to accommodate you, Mr Kaye."

The hearing continues.