RUC assault ex-POW
``Calm down, there's too many cameras around. We'll get him in
the barracks,'' said one RUC officer to his companions as they carried
out a savage attack on former republican prisoner Packie Leonard.
The incident, in which Leonard received severe bruising, occurred
in the early hours of Monday 8 November in McDonald's on Belfast's
Bradbury Place.
Leonard explained: ``I was standing at the counter and we were
having a bit of banter with the staff when another man who was not
with us started going too far. The staff called the RUC for the man
but when they arrived one of the RUC officers grabbed me. I tried to
pull away but then two other RUC men jumped on me. They then proceeded
to beat me at the counter with batons for about 10-15 minutes before
handcuffing me.''
He then explained how he was dragged outside and attacked again.
``When they got me outside they threw me face down on the ground
and began to kick me around the head. That's when one of them said
`Calm down, there's too many cameras around. We'll get him in the
barracks'.''
Leonard was taken to Musgrave Street barracks and was again beaten
as he was taken inside.
``When I got into the barracks, I asked to see the custody
sergeant. When he arrived I asked him for the names and numbers of the
arresting officers but he refused to give them to me. I was able to
see one number myself and that was 16215 but I could not see any of
the others,'' said Leonard. ``I was then charged with assaulting four
RUC officers.''
When his solicitor arrived and Leonard informed told him that the
RUC had refused to give the names and numbers of the arresting
officers, the solicitor immediately made a complaint.
Leonard himself has made a complaint about the assault.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)