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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Hannah Neale

'We know you are a cop': Officer bailed after 'harrowing' jail experience

Daniel Jones leaves court on Monday. Picture by Hannah Neale

A police officer has been granted bail after what a lawyer labelled a "harrowing" experience behind bars, where other inmates called him a "f---ing pig".

"We know you are a cop," prisoners are said to have yelled at Daniel Robert David Jones, 30, while he was remanded in Canberra's jail.

The now-suspended Australian Federal Police protective services officer was granted bail in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday.

Jones has pleaded not guilty to intentionally making a false statement in a statutory declaration and giving false or misleading information in relation to an application.

Details of the alleged offending have not been revealed, but the court previously heard Jones was accused of providing false and misleading information relating to a statutory declaration in his capacity as a police officer.

Jones has partly admitted to breaching one of his bail conditions, namely not being within 100 metres of a particular witness in his ongoing case.

Defence lawyer Peter Woodhouse said Jones had driven past the woman's house and "tooted" his horn on multiple occasions.

"There's no allegation that Mr Jones attempted to persuade her to change her evidence or interfere with the investigation in any way," Mr Woodhouse told the court.

"It's stupid on Mr Jones' part ... he shouldn't have tooted the horn when he saw her."

Mr Woodhouse said Jones had spent three-and-a-half weeks in custody which had been a "harrowing experience".

The court heard the police officer was housed in the crisis support unit, usually reserved for inmates who were a danger to themselves.

Jones was, instead, kept in segregation "for his own safety", Mr Woodhouse said.

The defence lawyer told the court that during Jones' brief interactions with other inmates he had been yelled at, called "a f---ing pig" and told "we know you are a cop".

Mr Woodhouse said his client had access to a small outside area, covered in mesh, but it "overwhelmingly smells like garbage" and "the smell is so bad you can't go out there".

A prosecutor opposed bail saying there was a likelihood of Jones attempting to contact the witness, or committing a crime.

"[The beeping of the horn] on one view may be an innocent gesture, in another view it may be intimidatory," the lawyer said.

Ultimately, magistrate Glenn Theakston granted Jones bail.

The case is set to return to court next month.

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