Policeman guilty of assaulting student

Police officer Gregory Hall. Picture / Kenny Rodger

A young police constable's career was in tatters after a jury today found him guilty of assault.

Gregory Richard Hall was convicted by the jury at the Auckland District Court of assaulting student Hayden Graham Seath in the back of a police car at Albany in November 2000.

However, he was cleared of assaulting Mr Seath earlier in the carpark of the Bull and Gate pub in Albany.

His colleague, Christopher Geoffrey James Wharton, was cleared of four charges of assaulting Mr Seath.

The jury was hung on a fifth assault charge against Wharton.

A retrial was ordered on that count.

Hall is to be sentenced by Judge Fred McElrea at the end of next month.

- HERALD STAFF