The former CEO of a peak industry body has failed to sue the state of NSW for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution after he had stalking charges against him thrown out.
Benjamin Reeves, who is simultaneously suing a media outlet for defamation, claimed the length of his detention in October 2020 was unreasonable and sought compensatory, aggravated and exemplary damages.
But District Court Judge Allister Abadee rejected the claims in his judgment on Tuesday.
He found the arresting officer had satisfied the suspicion requirement to apprehend Reeves and police did what they reasonably could to respect his privacy when searching him during his arrest.
Given the lawful nature of the arrest, the judge also found there were no grounds to argue his period in custody constituted false imprisonment.
Reeves, former CEO of the Australian Association of Graduate Employers, claimed the injured feelings associated with being detained in the interviewing room after he had indicated he did not wish to be interviewed constituted an injury.
“Although he plainly intended to detain Mr Reeves in the interviewing room, I am not persuaded that DS Michaelson intended to injure Mr Reeves,” Judge Abadee wrote.
The charge that Reeves stalked a 21-year-old woman was ultimately dismissed, with the prosecution ordered to pay his legal costs.
Reeves is suing the Daily Mail for defamation in the Federal Court over a September 2022 article which alleged he also stalked a separate woman, reality TV star Simone Holtznagel.
Ms Holtznagel rose to fame on Australia’s Next Top Model. She has modelled for Bras N Things, Playboy and Guess and has appeared on a number of reality TV programs including SAS Australia and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!
He was charged with one count of stalking and intimidating and an AVO application made by police on behalf of Ms Holtznagel.
Those cases are still ongoing, with Reeves due to face court on Thursday.