Article: Queensland Rail officer spat on, then sacked

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Queensland Rail officer spat on, then sacked

Queensland Rail officer spat on, then sacked
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Tuck Thompson

October 06, 2009 11:00pm

A QUEENSLAND Rail transit officer who was beaten and spat on by a passenger has been sacked by Queensland Rail for hitting back.

Trent Geissler, of Geebung, was terminated by QR executive manager for passenger services Paul Scurrah by letter yesterday afternoon.

"I feel betrayed because it was a criminal act perpetrated against me in the line of duty, and this will impact on my work history," Mr Geissler said. "If I had provoked it, I would have been charged as well."

Mr Geissler was called to Northgate station on Easter Sunday to attend an unruly behaviour incident and was assaulted by a 20-year-old man on the train platform.

Mr Geissler struck the man in the face and put him in a headlock.

Police arrested the man, who pleaded guilty to common assault and was sentenced to 150 hours of community service.

But Queensland Rail said a review of the incident by a HR firm found evidence Mr Geissler acted outside guidelines using excessive force.