News Service from House Harris

NT: Man police dragged to the ground was sick and asthmatic

DARWIN, Feb 25 AAP - Four Northern Territory police were told by the family of the Aboriginal man they were holding on the ground that he was sick and suffered from asthma, a coronial inquest has heard.

Moments later Mr Gurralpa, (who cannot be fully named for cultural reasons) slipped into unconsciousness and lost a pulse. He died in Royal Darwin Hospital a few hours later.

At a coronial inquest in Darwin on Thursday, the court heard police were called to a large brawl at a house in Palmerston on New Year's Day 2008.

Police held Mr Gurralpa, 39, on the ground because he had tried to attack the owner of the house with a frying pan.

"I saw Mr Gurralpa has been dragged to the ground," his sister-in-law Jessica Wilson said.

"There were four cops ... They pushed him, he was trying to free himself... he was lying in the mud.

"They jumped onto him: one on the neck, one on the back, two on the thighs."

Ms Wilson said they held the father of four on the ground "for a long time".

"Then I saw his nose was bleeding, we tried to talk to the cops: `Leave him alone because he's asthmatic'."

Ms Wilson said a female officer then approached the man and used capsicum spray on him.

She said she had tried to explain to the police when they arrived at the house that Mr Gurralpa's family wanted him to be taken to a sobering up shelter.

"(But) they didn't take any notice of me," Ms Wilson said.

The court on Monday heard that an autopsy found Mr Gurralpa had almost no alcohol in his system.

The circumstances of his death are being investigated at a joint inquiry into two deaths in custody.

Documentary maker Bob Plasto died on December 28, 2007, after he was ground stabilised by police at Royal Darwin Hospital.

NT Coroner Greg Cavanagh will hear evidence about his death next week. Among the issues he will consider are police restraint methods and officer training.