Ex-Miss Australia says her face disfigured by police grenade

A former Australian beauty queen has accused the police of disfiguring her looks and injuring her body when a grenade blew up in her face during a raid on her fiance's home in Queensland.

Felicia Djamirze, 28, who claims she risks losing sight in her right eye, alleged that she suffered third-degree burns to her face and her hand after police threw 'flash' grenades into the bedroom last week.

Djamirze was crowned Miss Tourism Queen Australia in 2011 and Miss Australia International in 2013.

Now a model and first-year law student, Ms Djamirze, was in bed with Mr Dean O'donnell, 35, when police raided his Susan River home, located north of Brisbane.

They were charged with drug trafficking and weapons offences. Police seized 2kg of 'Ice', illegal weapons and two silencers during the operation.

Djamirze, who denied the charges, claimed that she was also suffering from post-trauma stress.

Her worry: Will she go blind?

Her lawyer told the Daily Mail Australia that it was unnecessary for the police to carry out the raid using "military" tactics.

"There was a high level of both physical and electronic surveillance. The police must have known my client was sleeping in a confined area when they tossed the stun grenade into her bedroom," he said.

She claims her right hand melted in the blast and needed two surgeries.


Born in Russia, Djamirze is a motivational speaker for an organisation she founded called Dream Formal that encourages underprivileged women to cultivate confidence and self-esteem.

Since the incident, the model reportedly started a GoFundMe page to raise money for burns and trauma patients.

chenj@sph.com.sg