THUDS HEARD

Victorian police are in strife for alleged prisoner abuse. Video evidence was today produced in court:

The footage was black and white, and blurry around the edges.

It shows an aerial view of an interview room on the 11th floor of the St Kilda Road Police Headquarters, the heart of Victoria Police's specialised crime department.

Very little is clearly visible, apart from a white table, and then bursts of movement around the table's edges. But it's what's said and heard that's most powerful.

This is a re-enactment of what it's alleged a detective in the interview room asked the suspect.

DETECTIVE (read by actor): Are you going to be all friendly and co-operative. You going to do it that way or you going to do it the hard hard hard way?

What are your thoughts?

JOSIE TAYLOR: Then the sound of thuds and a loud bang is clearly audible. And then ...

DETECTIVE (read by actor): Welcome to the armed robbery squad.

Thuds can be very incriminating:

Counsel assisting the hearing Garry Livermore said this section clearly identified Dabb assaulting the suspect.

At this point Detective Dabb collapsed with a loud thud on the witness stand. His colleagues rushed across the court and virtually carried him from the room.

Funny how just being questioned can provoke a spontaneous thud.