Detective Speaks Out About Police Misconduct

Four Corners is a news program.

The topic is about the police.

The news was reported on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 4:45 am.

Kurt Hayward was a police officer for 23 years before he quit four years ago.

A rugby player named Tom Starling was arrested by the police.

Detective Sergeant Kurt Hayward was at home on a Sunday morning in December 2020.

Hayward received calls that a rugby player had been arrested by the local police.

He knew it would cause problems.

Hayward is speaking out about the incident for the first time because he thinks the system failed.

Tom Starling was arrested at a bar on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

The police said Starling and others attacked them, but the video shows something different.

Starling was released from the police station on Sunday morning.

A journalist and camera operator were waiting to take his picture.

Starling was given a document that said he was charged with assaulting the police.

The next day, Hayward saw the video of the incident at the police station.

The video shows Starling being dragged out of the bar and punched by a police officer.

Starling was hit several times while he was unconscious or barely conscious.

Hayward said it was clear that the police officer would get in trouble.

It was obvious that something was wrong.

Hayward said Starling was already unconscious when the police officer punched him.

There is no way to justify the police officer's actions.

The police officers who punched Starling say they did not assault him.

Hayward read the police report, and it did not match the video.

Hayward thought the police were trying to justify their actions by lying.

He hoped his superiors would see the video and start an investigation.

He thought the police officers who punched Starling would be punished.

That is not what happened.

Tom Starling was charged with assaulting the police.

This story is part of a series about police using too much force.

The New South Wales police paid a record $40 million in settlements last year.

This is a 43% increase from five years ago.

A woman was sprayed with pepper, kicked, and dragged by the police.

The police were sued 478 times last year.

Lawyers and experts say this shows that the system for dealing with police misconduct is flawed.

A criminologist said that high levels of lawsuits against the police mean that the police are behaving badly.

To win a lawsuit against the police, you need strong evidence.

If people are winning lawsuits, it means the police probably did something wrong.

Tom Starling spent days hiding at home after the incident.

He was scared that his career was over.

Starling said it felt like a dream.

He had just started playing in the National Rugby League.

Football was Starling's life.

He used to think rugby players were superheroes.

Starling told his team that he was not guilty and would prove it in court.

His parents spent their savings on his case.

A lawyer said the video shows that the police assaulted Starling.

The police report did not match the video.

The lawyer said the police report was false.

Hayward was determined to report the misconduct.

He saw the video and was concerned.

Police officers are required to report misconduct.

But sometimes they do not because of a culture of silence.

Hayward decided to report what he saw to his boss.

He said the police officer was punching an unconscious man.

His boss did not agree.

Hayward was told to go to the top if he disagreed.

He wrote to the commissioner and reported the incident.

The region commander launched an investigation.

Hayward was put in charge of the case.

Most of the charges against Starling were dropped.

An investigation was started into the police actions.

But Hayward soon felt the cost of his victory.

Some officers did not talk to him.

Hayward quit the police 18 months later.

He is still angry with the police.

He thinks the system allows police to get away with misconduct.

There is nothing more hypocritical than a police officer doing wrong.

Tom Starling fought the charges for two years.

It was hard for him to focus on his rugby career.

He had to pretend that everything was okay, but it was not.

Starling had always dreamed of playing rugby.

He felt like he had a dark cloud following him.

People thought he was a thug who assaulted police.

In the end, Starling's persistence paid off.

The final charge against him was dismissed.

The police officers who punched him were charged with assault.

Their trial is about to start.

Starling will sue the police after the trial.

Sometimes Starling still feels like he is back in that cell.

The experience will always be with him.

You can still find the story online.

The news was reported on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 4:45 am.

The news was updated on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 10:59 am.

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Analysis by Brittany Carter

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