The dramatic moment an ‘agitated’ drunk driver was arrested still clutching a wine bottle after causing a crash on a busy road has been captured on police bodycam.
Curtis Owen was behind the wheel of the car when he ploughed into two other vehicles at an intersection in Strathpine, north Brisbane, in June last year.
The crash made headlines after a bystander captured footage of an officer rushing to the side of the car and punching Owen before using a Taser.
Owen was arrested and pleaded guilty to nine charges, including driving under the influence and drug offences, before he learned his fate in court on Friday.
New bodycam footage was released to 9News on Monday and showed Owen kicking and throwing a wine bottle at the officer while he was still behind the wheel of the smoking wreck.
Owen had a BAC of 0.18 – more than three times the legal limit – and was seen in the footage being told to remain in the car and hand over the bottle.
But Owen swigged the remaining alcohol and threw the bottle at the officer before he tried to climb out the window.
He kicked the officer so hard his glasses and bodycam were dislodged and fell to the ground.
Previously unreleased footage shows driver Curtis Owen swigging wine behind the wheel minutes after causing a crash on a major Queensland road
In different footage filmed by a bystander, the officer punches the ‘aggressive’ man repeatedly in the vision (pictured)
The driver ignored the repeated directions of the officer which led to him punching the man when he continued to climb out the window and then deploying his Taser.
Minutes earlier Owen had careened through an intersection before swerving across a traffic island and smashing into two cars, including a red four-wheel-drive, that was stopped at the lights.
Owen also pleaded guilty to spitting on an officer, assaulting two officers, and obstructing a firefighter who was first on the scene.
His lawyer told the court on Friday he had been drinking heavily following the death of a friend.
The court also heard he had a criminal history including dangerous driving, trafficking drugs, and a 2016 offence for assaulting a police officer.
He was sentenced to 15 months jail but walked free after he was granted immediate parole.
Owen was also ordered to pay $750 compensation to the officer he spat at and another $500 in fines.
An investigation by police ethical standards command into the actions of the officer filmed punching him remains ongoing.
