A Top End criminal who fell asleep outside the house he just burgled was taunted by police and fed food scraps from a bin, according the NT Ombudsman.
Territory Ombudsman Carolyn Richards said security camera footage at the watch-house showed an officer picking toast and a carton of milk from a bin and giving it to the criminal.
According to a report in the NT News, the man was abused by police in custody, who mocked his criminal efforts.
The officer reportedly said: "He's from CSI — one of our smart criminals who breaks and enters and then collapses outside the scene."
The man was also called a "loser", "retard", "dickhead", "stupid idiot" and "piece of s***".
After the prisoner threatened suicide by jumping high in the air and falling on his head, he alleges that an officer said, "Go ahead, do it."
The police were roundly criticised by the Ombudsman, who in her annual report published yesterday said that the police comments to the prisoner were "inappropriate."
Police disputed the report, saying that it was biased and didn't take into account whether the prisoner was being provocative.
The NT News reported the Ombudsman responded by saying, "Hard as it might be for police officers to deal with provocative and insulting behaviour, a trained officer must at all times conduct him/herself professionally and not sink to the standards of those who have no respect for the law."
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