The suspect had been taken into custody for drink driving

Video shows the shocking moment a police officer in Spain karate kicked a handcuffed suspected drunk driver in the head while in custody.

The footage, which was taken in 2011 but only emerged this week, shows the 41-year-old officer kick the man twice as at least four officers stand by and watch at a police station in Majorca.

The video was released on Wednesday after the officer, who is an expert in martial arts, admitted to carrying out the heinous attack.

The victim had been detained for drink driving after failing a breathalyser test following a road accident on the Spanish island.

The policeman said that he had lost his nerve and only reacted like he did when the suspect “threatened to slice up his daughter”.

The defendant denied that he had been abusive and claimed that he had been hit several more times while in the police station, a claim that the police reject.

Speaking at court, he said: "It wasn't the right behaviour. It wasn't the sort of behaviour a policeman should display."

He also apologised to the victim and said that he was aware that he was being filmed when he carried out the attack.

He now faces up to four years in prison for torture and wounding.

Three officers that witnessed the attack but didn’t do anything could be detained for one year if found guilty.

One policeman was also accused of moving the camera after the attack but he denied the claim saying that he knocked it over when he was pulling out his extendable baton.

Local media reports that the accused men have all been working as officers since the attack took place.

The case will resume on the 27 May.

Source: Independent

Independent News Service