A lesbian couple have claimed they were arrested after kissing on their first date at Melbourne's Crown Casino, a new lawsuit alleges.
Sharon Cosgrove, 59, says she “lightly kissed” her date at a bar in the casino before security arrived and called police to alert the couple.
She claims that after the July 2019 incident, she was grabbed with “excessive force”, led away in handcuffs and bundled into the back of a police van.
Ms Cosgrove is now suing Crown Casinos, G4S security and the state of Victoria over her arrest – and insists this would not have happened if the couple had been husband and wife.
Crown told Daily Mail Australia it would defend the legal action after the writ was filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria earlier this month.
A lesbian couple have claimed they were arrested after kissing on their first date at Melbourne's Crown Casino (pictured), a new lawsuit alleges
Sharon Cosgrove, 59, says she 'lightly kissed' her date at the casino's Lumia bar (pictured) before security sprang into action and called police to warn the couple
Ms Cosgrove, a business executive from NSW, claims she and her date arrived at Crown and went to the Lumia bar where they bought a glass of red wine.
Court documents, seen by the Herald Sunclaim they were closely watched by five security guards who sprang into action when the couple kissed 'briefly and lightly'.
Ms. Cosgrove claims she and her date were immediately told to leave the casino.
“The order to leave was ostensibly given on the basis that the (couple) was intoxicated, which was false,” the court documents allege.
“But in reality, the photo was taken based on sexual discrimination against two lesbians who engaged in light kissing and touching.”
Ms Cosgrove says she was allowed to finish her glass of wine, but claims she was constantly harassed by guards while she drank it.
She then claims they “completely restrained” her and held her down with “excessive force” without “legal justification” before she was handcuffed and taken to the basement of the casino.
Ms Cosgrove was later taken to the Victoria Police custody center in the back of a police van
She was later taken to the Victoria Police custody center in the back of a police van, but claims she was then held there after complaining about her treatment and threatening to consult the media.
'Following the complaint, the bail sergeant determined this [Ms Cosgrove] would no longer be released from the Custody Center, and he ordered her returned to a holding cell,” according to court documents.
“The bail sergeant said words to that effect [Ms Cosgrove] had to be punished because she said she would report the behavior, and the bail sergeant called the accuser a derogatory name.”
She claims she was told to “teach a lesson about complaining,” and had a door closed on her right foot, causing her to bleed “profoundly” and her pleas for help “being ignored for a while.”
According to the documents, she was denied a blanket for her cold room and told, “You deserve everything you get…sit down and shut up.”
Ms Cosgrove is suing both Crown and Victoria State for assault, battery, false imprisonment and unlawful arrest
According to court documents, her injured foot required 14 stitches, and she also suffered injuries to her shoulders, arms and wrists, as well as psychiatric injuries, humiliation, shame and fear.
Ms Cosgrove is suing both Crown and Victoria State for assault, battery, false imprisonment and unlawful arrest.
She is also suing G4S security for false imprisonment and intentional infliction of personal injury at the Custody Centre.
According to court documents, her injured foot required 14 stitches, and she also suffered injuries to her shoulders, arms and wrists, as well as psychiatric injuries, humiliation, shame and fear.
The writ seeks aggravated and exemplary damages, including economic loss caused by the time Ms. Cosgrove had to leave work to recover.
Her lawyers said it was 'unacceptable' that Ms Cosgrove had suffered the alleged rough treatment.
“No one deserves to be publicly profiled, harassed and attacked because of their sexual orientation,” said Slater and Gordon public liability attorney Oliver Robertson.
“We allege that the adverse and harmful treatment to which my client has been subjected has caused irreparable physical and psychological harm.”
A Crown spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: “Crown will defend the case.
“But as the matter is before the courts it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
Daily Mail Australia has also contacted Slater Gordon, Victoria Police, G4S security and Ms Cosgrove for comment.