# Court permanently stays case against police charged over tasering and pepper-spraying First Nations man

https://mins.news/en/item/27904

- The Guardian, 2026-08-21 01:16 UTC
- Society
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/21/court-ends-case-queensland-police-officers-tasered-vulnerable-man-ntwnfb

> A court has permanently stayed the case against senior constables Andrew David Couchman and Ulrich Weiss over their alleged use of capsicum spray, Tasers and restraints on a cognitively and emotionally vulnerable First Nations man at the Mareeba watch house in January 2024. The judge found that a detective had inserted a “false” account into the man’s statement, creating a fundamental defect that meant a fair trial could not proceed.