A Melbourne court has dropped all criminal charges against three police officers accused of leaving a man a quadriplegic after an arrest five years ago.
Benjamin Timpson, Gregory Cressall and Lachlan Barr were called to respond to a noise complaint at the Warrnambool home of Chris Karadaglis in November 2017.
They were accused of handcuffing the 47-year-old and dragging him out of his flat during the arrest.
Mr Karadaglis claimed the officers placed him in a headlock that caused his neck to break.
The incident sparked an investigation, Operation Blackmore, by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC).
In June last year, IBAC charged the three officers with negligently causing serious injury.
But this morning Office of Public Prosecutions (OPP) lawyer Melinda Bossio successfully applied to have the charges dropped during a special hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court.
Magistrate Olivia Trumble also approved an application from the police officers' lawyer, Tony Hargreaves, for IBAC to pay their legal costs.
In a statement, an IBAC spokesperson said "police integrity around the use of force remains a significant focus of IBAC's work".
"IBAC is currently preparing a special report on Victoria Police use of force which will outline police misconduct risks, vulnerabilities and opportunities to strengthen Victoria Police's practices," the statement said.
Victoria Police reached a settlement with Mr Karadaglis, but in a statement said the terms of the settlement were "confidential".
A spokesperson confirmed Mr Timpson, Mr Cressall and Mr Barr had returned to regular duties, after being stood down from operational duties after they were charged by IBAC.
'Enduring stress'
Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt said the union was "pleased that these members can now get on with their life and their work after the enduring stress this process has caused them".
"The Police Association Victoria is proud to have been by their side, representing them as they defended these charges," Mr Gatt said in a statement.
"Our members do the most difficult and challenging job in Victoria.
"That is never lost on us and it should never be lost on the community they serve."
