“I am satisfied that Ms Thomas was punched in the face by a male police officer, causing extensive and serious injury to her eye … We are further satisfied that Ms Thomas was an innocent victim of gratuitous police brutality and excessive use of force, actions that were completely and entirely unjustifiable.”

Hannah Thomas was injured in her right eye while being arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest in Sydney in June. Source: Instagram / Hannah Thomas

Her legal team say they have watched all available footage of the incident and object to claims made by senior police officers, which they argue downplay its gravity.

“It cannot be known what goes through the mind of a police officer who uses gratuitous violence like this, but the context and timing appear unavoidably revealing,” O’Brien said.

Protesters gather during a rally at SEC Plating in Belmore. Source: AAP / Dan Himbrechts

A NSW Police spokesperson said the force cannot comment on ongoing investigations.