Law & Disorder / Civilization & Discontents

Dotcom lawyer: NZ police stopped pregnant wife from calling a doctor

Cops seized phones and cars, forcing her to wait 45 minutes for an ambulance.

A pregnant Mona Dotcom was prevented from quickly seeking medical attention after the police seized the family's cell phones and vehicles during the dramatic January raid on the mansion she shared with her husband, Kim Dotcom.

At least that's how Dotcom defense lawyer Paul Davison told the story in a Thursday court hearing in New Zealand. The New Zealand High Court is holding hearings to help it decide what to do about the raid, which it has already ruled illegal.

According to the New Zealand Herald, the police eventually called an ambulance for Mrs. Dotcom, but it reportedly took 45 minutes to arrive. Mrs. Dotcom's condition was evidently not serious, as she gave birth to twin girls two months later.

Detective sergeant Steve Humphries insisted that the police were not medical experts and it was not their job to expedite Mrs. Dotcom's medical care. But Davison said that didn't justify the police's behavior.

"You had seized communications. Seized her cell phone. Seized cars that would enable staff to assist her," he said during cross-examination. "You had hold of all vital aspects of communication and transport and all you were doing was facilitating a 111 call. That's a pathetic response from police officers," he said.

Meanwhile, Auckland Now reports that the government is planning to appeal a decision that would unveil operational details of the raid, including a checklist the police used to determine if Dotcom should be considered dangerous. The paper says the "police believe that making details public would compromise their operational capability."

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