A man removed from his Melbourne home by men in black during counter-terrorism raids was bloodied, shirtless and shoeless, a court has been told.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Eathan Cruse was arrested in April 2015 as a person of interest in a conspiracy to behead a police officer on Anzac Day the same year.
"He was getting carried by the men in black with no shirt, no socks, no shoes," his sister Layaleeta Smith told the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Her family was forced to wait outside and watch her brother being removed from the house, Ms Smith said.
As he emerged he was unable to walk and appeared to be limping, she added.
Mr Cruse previously told the court he was restrained with cable ties and beaten in the 3.30am police raid on his family home at suburban Eumemmerring.
The 23-year-old is suing the State of Victoria in the Supreme Court over the "beating" he allegedly received during the raid.
He was never charged over the terror plot.
His sister said officers dragged her by the hair past the kitchen where she saw her brother restrained on the ground.
"What's going on? Get off my brother," Ms Smith said during the raid.
She saw blood on the fridge and saw an officer hit her brother with an open palm.
"I was scared for him and he looked like he was in pain," she said.
The raids left Mr Cruse with anxiety and depression, wife Sarah Khan told the court, adding that her husband had become distant and lonely since the raid.
"He would just shut me out basically," she said of the change in his behaviour.
It was only two weeks ago that Mr Cruse agreed to seek medical help for his mental health.
"I just felt like he's not really the father he can because of his mental state," Ms Khan said.
She denied suggestions changes to his state of mind were brought on by the deaths of his friends Numan Haider and Irfaan Hussein.
Haider was shot and killed by police after he stabbed two officers at Endeavour Hills in 2014 and Hussein was killed in 2015 while fighting with Islamic State.
After being arrested, Mr Cruse spent 11 hours in custody, including a trip to hospital for treatment, but was only interviewed for 27 minutes.
The Supreme Court has previously heard Mr Cruse now works as a security guard while studying and hopes to get a job in child protection.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Australian Associated Press
