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Tasered man sent for mental assessment

Kevin Spratt, the man who was repeatedly tasered by police in a Perth lock-up in 2008, has been charged with assaulting police and sent for mental tests.

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Kevin Spratt. (NITV News)

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Source: AAP


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The Perth man who made global headlines after being repeatedly tasered by two policemen has been remanded for a week-long mental assessment, after being charged with assaulting and obstructing officers.

Lawyers for Kevin Spratt said a week in which former senior constables Aaron Grant Strahan and Troy Gregory Tomlin had been convicted of assaulting him five years ago had "taken a considerable toll".

On Thursday night, Spratt was arrested in Brookdale on suspicion of having committed several assaults, along with an aggravated assault in Cloverdale.

Spratt, 44, will face four charges of assaulting a public officer, two charges of obstructing police, one count of assault occasioning bodily harm, two charges of stealing, and one count of aggravated burglary.

Officers who responded to the incident on Thursday night reportedly drew their tasers, while a police dog was also in attendance.

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A brief appearance in Perth Magistrate's Court saw Spratt sent to the Frankland Centre - Perth's maximum-security psychiatric hospital - until another appearance next Friday.

The court was told Spratt was not well enough to be read the list of charges.

Lawyer Mal Cook said outside court his client was "obviously not well".

His arrest came the day after Magistrate Richard Bromfield had found Spratt had been unlawfully assaulted in the East Perth watch house on August 31, 2008 after he refused a strip search.

Strahan, 45, and Tomlin, 34, were on Wednesday given suspended jail terms and fined after being convicted in Perth Magistrates Court of unlawfully assaulting Spratt.

CCTV footage showed Mr Spratt crying out as the constables tasered him nine times in just over a minute.

While defence lawyer Karen Vernon had asked the magistrate to impose a good behaviour bond or a fine, Magistrate Bromfield said imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence.

Tomlin and Strahan were given eight-month prison sentences, suspended for six months.

Tomlin also received a $3800 fine while Strahan must pay a fine of $3250.

A spokeswoman for WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said one or both of the officers were considering appealing their convictions, while the police union criticised the verdict, saying they had been "wrongly convicted".

"Officers should not be backed into a corner like this. They should be able to use all reasonable force options required in the circumstances and should not be scared to use their taser when needed," president George Tilbury said.

Spratt said this week he was seeking compensation for the incident.


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