Constable Carl Giusti and Senior Constable Frank Shields have been excused from attending court for the past five months as their solicitors worked through legal processes

with the Department of Public Prosecutions.

Yesterday a timetable for submissions was put forward by a solicitor acting as agent for defence legal teams.

Submissions from the defence and prosecution will be heard before Dubbo Local Court Magistrate Andrew Eckhold on April 24.

Giusti and Shields will be required to attend court on that day after the Department of Public Prosecutions opposed an application allowing the police officers to again be excused if legally represented.

“They should be present,’’ Magistrate Andrew Eckhold said.

Giusti and Shields are alleged to have approached a 14-year-old boy at the Wellington skate park in August last year.

The Department of Public Prosecutions allege the boy was placed into a headlock, forced into the rear of a marked caged police truck and taken to another area where he was further assaulted.

The incident was reported to police when the boy was “dropped off” at the home of a relative.

An investigation was carried out by officers from Orana Local Area Command and the Professional Standards Command.

Giusti and Shields were suspended from the police service.

They remain on full pay and are being monitored by members of Orana Local Area Command and the Professional Standards Command.

No pleas have been entered to charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and taking/detaining

in company with intent to gain advantage.