A police officer plans to fight allegations that he assaulted an elderly man with possible dementia.
Senior Constable Dean George Valesini and another constable are accused of assaulting 92-year-old Ronald Hodge following an alleged domestic violence-related incident at a home southwest of Sydney.
The two officers had responded to two triple-zero calls from an elderly woman at the Picton property when they arrived about 9pm on January 21.
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Hodge was arrested and handcuffed before being taken to hospital with a fracture to his right elbow and significant bruising to his head and arms.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb in June said it was likely the elderly man had dementia.
“It’s obviously a complex matter when you’ve got someone elderly, someone who has mental decline through dementia or through something else that can’t actually articulate any concerns to police properly,” she said at the time.
Following an internal investigation, both officers were hit with one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, while the constable is facing an additional charge of common assault.
Valesini did not attend Campbelltown Local Court in person on Tuesday for the first scheduled listing of the case.
His lawyer Michael Burns told the registrar the 36-year-old would plead not guilty.
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More time has been given for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which is handling the case instead of police prosecutors, to serve all evidence on Valesini and his legal team.
The Spring Farm man has had no bail conditions imposed against him and crown prosecutor Brendan Donnelly did not apply for any such measures on Tuesday.
His case will next come before Downing Centre Local Court on September 24.
The other constable charged over the alleged assault will have his case heard for the first time at Campbelltown on August 6.
The incident involving Hodge follows the May 2023 death of a great-grandmother with dementia after she was tasered by an officer at her Cooma nursing home while holding a knife.
Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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