A former senior colleague of the three Hāwera police officers charged with manslaughter has given evidence in the trial at the High Court in New Plymouth on Tuesday.
Senior Sergeant Kyle Davie told the court the officers were well-respected and part of the most high-performing police team in South Taranaki.
"I knew they would do a really good job. They were urgent about their work. They were very reliable and a high-performing group," he told the court.
One of the three defendants - all of whom have name suppression - was brought to tears as Davie spoke in depth about how respected, loved and trusted this officer was in the community and among staff.
Allan Ball's partner at the time was the first witness in what's expected to be a four-week trial. She told the court Ball had been drinking to excess that night, consuming around a litre of bourbon.
Ball was arrested following a family harm incident on May 31, 2019. The Crown says he was unresponsive when he was placed in the cells at Hāwera Police Station, and later died.
When asked if there were special protocols for caring for an extremely intoxicated prisoner, Snr Sgt Davie told the court that depending on the circumstances, an ambulance could be called or the person may need to be taken straight to hospital.
Davie confirmed there is a 24-hour Hāwera Hospital a five-minute drive from the Hāwera Police Station.
Davie also confirmed it is not uncommon to leave someone in a cell to "sleep it off" and waking them regularly for checks can agitate the prisoner and result in aggressive situations.
The defence continues.
