A man who is suing NSW Police for assault and false imprisonment has told a court he could not breathe as officers punched and kicked him during an arrest at Sydney's Mardi Gras in 2013.
Bryn Hutchinson, 37, is also suing for battery and malicious prosecution.
Mr Hutchinson alleged he was punched and kicked several times as he tried to cross Oxford Street once the parade passed through.
The strip is closed for several hours during the afternoon and evening, but reopens after the parade's conclusion.
The plaintiff's lawyer told Judge Audrey Balla that Mr Hutchinson was "brutally attacked" and that the incident was "unwarranted".
Today, he became emotional as he described his injuries, which he alleged include bruising to his face, head, arms, wrists and legs.
'I felt betrayed'
Mr Hutchinson said he told officers he could not breathe during the arrest and, on several occasions, asked them to loosen his handcuffs.
He told the court the incident also affected him mentally.
"I was both upset and very stressed," Mr Hutchinson said.
"I felt betrayed by the way they [police] behaved."
His lawyers also presented the court with CCTV vision which they argue shows other people also crossing the strip at the time.
The hearing continues.
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