Civil Law

Additional Charge Laid in Hannah Thomas’ Civil Claim

O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors confirms that an additional and more serious charge has been filed against the State of New South Wales in the ongoing civil proceedings on behalf of Hannah Thomas.

This new charge has been added due to the severity of the injury Ms Thomas sustained during her arrest at the SEC Plating protests in Belmore earlier this year.

Following the receipt of an expert medical statement and a formal request from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, an additional charge has been added for the offence of Recklessly Causing Grievous Bodily Harm, pursuant to section 35(2) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW).

This new charge relates to the conduct of a NSW Police officer who allegedly assaulted Ms Thomas during her arrest, resulting in a serious and ongoing injury to her right eye. The charge has been listed for mention before Bankstown Local Court on 18 November 2025, to align with the existing proceedings.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by O’Brien Solicitors | 🇦🇺Criminal and Civil Law Firm (@obriensolicitors)

“The addition of an offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm reflects the severity of the injury sustained by our client, and reinforces the troubling nature of the way in which police are dealing with people during public assemblies; where both are, in fact and law aligned – police to preserve law and order in a peaceful democracy, and protesters whose dissent is vital to democracy.”