Cop to fight Cousins leak charge
The policeman accused of leaking confidential information about the arrest of fallen West Coast captain Ben Cousins to a TV reporter will fight the charges in court.
Daniel Jamieson made a brief appearance in Perth Magistrate's Court today, and entered not guilty pleas to charges of disclosing official secrets.
The court heard the first class constable, who has been stood down from his duties, allegedly disclosed the information to the reporter, with whom he is in a relationship, on four separate dates in March this year.
He denied all of the offences, which are alleged to have occurred in Rockingham.
His case was adjourned until July, when a date for his trial will be allocated.
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The charges arose after an investigation by the WA Police's Internal Affairs Unit, who had a representative watching in court today.
Mr Jamieson said nothing as he left court, and was driven away by a WA Police Union vehicle.
Mr Cousins was charged on March 11 this year, over a 'slow speed chase' with police.
The first of Mr Jamieson's alleged disclosures to the reporter is alleged to have taken place on March 12.
Following an internal investigation, WA Police revealed that more than 100 police officers, including some in regional areas, had accessed Cousins' police record in the days after his arrest.
And police also stressed that the female reporter had done nothing wrong, and was never likely to face criminal charges.
Three days after his initial arrest, Cousins was again apprehended after being discovered inside the heavily guarded Swanbourne headquarters of the Special Air Services base in Swanbourne.
And the following month, the Brownlow medallist was arrested again after an incident which began outside a Sikh temple and ended with him on the roof of a two-storey house in Canning Vale.
Cousins is facing charges of reckless driving, being dangerous to the public to escape police pursuit, failing to stop and failing to provide a breath sample.
He appeared in court last month after initially having an arrest warrant issued against him by a magistrate.
