This is a song I ( Tom Longford ) started writing for Renee when she was first diagnosed with Angiosarcoma.
After completing the first verse, I had optimistically hoped that each subsequent verse would be brighter than the last, and that the song would eventually include a happy ending.
Unfortunately, I was never given the opportunity to add anything positive for the rest of Renee’s battle.
I finished the song after we lost Renee and shared it with our Parents and our Brother.
I hope to one day record it properly with my band – but at this stage, if you’re interested in listening, you’ll just be hearing a version recorded via web-mic on my laptop.
Sergeant Longford, of Picton, died on January 24 after battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer since late 2010.
She served as a police officer for 14 years and worked at Liverpool and Cabramatta before she began working at Bowral in 2008.
Superintendent Worboys said Sergeant Longford would be remembered as an excellent communicator who was positive about her duties, with no task ever too big or small.
“Sergeant Longford was the sort of officer that police commanders just want to have around,” he said.
“Renee was just as good at chasing and catching criminals as she was comforting victims of crime.
“She will be sadly missed and our thoughts are with her family.”
Will be sadly missed by all her family and friends.
Aged 34 years
Forever in our hearts
RENEE’s relatives and friends are warmly invited to attend her Funeral Service to be held in St John’s Anglican Church, Menangle Road, Camden on Friday, 10th February 2012, commencing at 12.30pm.
Following the service the cortege will proceed to Forest Lawn Crematorium.
In lieu of flowers, donations to cancer research would be appreciated, a donation box will be available at the church.
FAMILY, friends and colleagues of Sergeant Renee Longford said farewell to their friend and comrade at an official police funeral on Friday.
Sgt Longford died on January 24 after battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer since late 2010.
She served as a police officer for 14 years and worked at Liverpool and Cabramatta before she began working at Bowral in 2008.
Sgt Longford and husband Peter Cotton, a police officer based at Picton, have three children, Dean, Jake and two-year-old Emma.
Sgt Cotton said his wife was also step mother to two of his children from a previous relationship.
About 500 people attended the service at St John’s Anglican Church in Camden, among those Sgt Longford’s colleagues, some wearing plain clothes and others in uniform.
Sgt Cotton said the rain stopped when his wife was brought to the family home before the funeral and the wet weather held off until after the service.
A police guard of honour saluted Sgt Longford as she was taken into the church and Sgt Cotton said it was only when leaving that he realised how many people had come to pay their respects to his wife.
“They lined the road way and it surprised me on the way out because I knew how many people we had left behind (in the church).
“I’ve done a lot of police funerals in my time and it was one of the biggest I had been to let alone been involved with.”
Sgt Cotton said a second service was then held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Leppington, where the police guard of honour continued the display respect.
He said Goulburn LAC commander Superintendent Gary Worboys and family friends Ben and Tim Mallott were among those who spoke about Sgt Longford at the service.
Supt Worboys said Sgt Longford’s funeral was a fitting tribute to her dedication to her job as a police officer.
He said Sgt Longford would be remembered as an excellent communicator that was positive about her duties, with no task ever too big or small.
“Sgt Longford was the sort of officer that police commanders just want to have around,” he said.
“Renee was just as good at chasing and catching criminals as she was comforting victims of crime.
“She will be sadly missed and our thoughts are with her family.”
Sgt Cotton said the service was the best the family could have hoped for.
“It was quite humbling and quite fitting.
“I’m very proud that she’d touched the hearts of so many people.”
Sgt Longford being taken into St John’s Anglican Church in Camden on Friday for an official police funeral service. Photo by Jeff de Pasquale
Colleagues of Sgt Longford, led by Senior Constable Natalie Innes, speaking at the funeral service on Friday. Photo by Jeff de Pasquale
RENEE LONGFORD isn’t letting an aggressive form of cancer plaguing her body defeat her.
Tracey Bailey, Jill Linford, Dareen Farr ( # 23446 ) and Renee and Emma Longford catch up at Bowral Police Station last week.Photo by Ben McClellan
Picton bowling day organisers Constable Leisa Faulkner and Constable Kim Rutley, Renee Longford, Picton Bowling Club GM Debbie Egan and Mens Bowls president Bob Lang last December. Photo by Jonathan Ng
The Bowral police sergeant, who has been off work since September last year, dropped in on some of her colleagues last week to thank them and the community for all the money raised to help her family.
A fundraising dinner at Mittagong RSL last November along with a host of smaller events and donations raised $47,255.
The family lives in Picton and a fundraising bowls day, where everyone was asked to don Ms Longford’s favourite colour yellow, was another success last December.
Ms Longford’s partner Peter Cotton, also a police officer , has retuned to work at Camden. The couple have five children between them.
The couple has three children, including a one-year-old, and Mr Cotton has two children from a previous relationship.
The 33-year-old has been an officer for 13 years and served at Liverpool and Cabramatta before moving to Bowral as a sergeant in October, 2008.
Ms Longford used the visit to publicly thank the Highlands community.
“Thanks to the business community for their donations and all my colleagues who have been fantastic,” she said.
“Thanks to Graeme Day for hosting the night and Tony Fountain for running the auction.”
Ms Longford has undergone six rounds of chemotherapy and she said the cancer around her hips and spine has stopped growing.
She said she was considering using an experimental kidney transplant drug that could help.
While she would never walk the beat again she was focused on getting back to work.
“I’d love to get back to work,” she said.
Bowral colleague Jill Linford said the station had been overwhelmed by the support the community had shown.
“It’s really, really nice,” she said.
Sergeant Darren Farr, one of the longest serving officers at Bowral, said he didn’t realise how much support was out in the community for the police.
Longford appeal
A BANK account has been opened with the BDCU to help Renee Longford and her family:
The Club hosted a Cruise Night on Saturday 15 January 2011 with proceeds going to Renee Longford, the daughter of one of our life members, John Longford.
Renee was recently diagnosed with an aggressive type of bone cancer. The Club members decided to help by organising a cruise night at our clubrooms with all proceeds going to Renee.
The night started about 6.00pm and it wasn’t long before the car park was filled with Hot Rods, Customs and American Muscle Cars. There were many more vehicles parked in the street. All in all there were in excess of 100 cars.
The Flattrakkers provided the music for the evening and the kids were entertained with a giant jumping castle. The members were kept busy cooking the BBQ for the crowd of over 500 people. A monster raffle was held during the night with prizes donated by various members and other supporters of the evening.
It was a great night which was enjoyed by all and we thank everyone for their support. We were able to hand Renee an amount of $3000.00 which will assist her and her family during this difficult time.
A special thanks must go to Mick and Pam Cooley who co-ordinated the night as well as all the members who donated items for the raffle.
NSW Goulburn Police Academy – Class # DPP 08 ( 282 )
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # 35179
Rank: Commenced Training at Goulburn Police Academy on Monday 8 January 2001 ( aged 24 years, 4 months, 29 days )( spent 3 months, 26 days with Academy )
Probationary Constable- appointed Friday 4 May 2001 ( aged 24 years, 8 months, 24 days )
Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Constable 1st Class – appointed ? ? ?
Detective – appointed ? ? ?
Senior Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Leading Senior Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Final Rank = Senior Constable
Retirement / Leaving age: = 38 years, 8 months, 20 days
Stations: ?, Blacktown ( 27 Division ), Quakers Hill Police Area Command – Retirement
Service: From 8 January 2001to 30 April 2015 = 14 years, 3 months, 22 days Service
Awards: No Find on Australian Honours system
Born: Tuesday 10 August 1976
Died on: Friday 8 January 2021
Age: 44 years, 4 months, 29 days
Cause: ?
Event location: ?
Event date: ?
Funeral date: Friday 22 January 2021 @ 11.30am
Funeral location: ( Memorial Service ) – Melaleuca Station Memorial Gardens Chapel, 9394 Tweed Valley Way, Chinderah NSW
( Due to current Govt. restrictions on ‘Gatherings’ due to Corona19 Virus Pandemic, some families may wish to have a Memorial Service / Wake with friends and family at a later date )
Nothing further, than what is recorded above, is known about this man at the time of publication and further information and photos would be appreciated.
Cal
21 January 2021
Raymond Charles ROBINSON
22/01/2021
Raymond Charles ROBINSON
AKA ROBBO
Late of ?
NSW Police Training Centre – Redfern – Class # 138C
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # 16203
Rank: Commenced Training at Redfern Police Academy on Monday 14 January 1974 ( aged 20 years, 4 months, 26 days )( 6 weeks at Academy )
Probationary Constable- appointed 25 February 1974 ( aged 20 years, 6 months, 6 days )
His wife Fay, and family, have chosen this location as it was a favourite destination for Robbo on his weekly bike ride.
It has been suggested the proposed dress is neat casual and wear medals if desired. The funeral will be conducted outdoors and I am advised that Putty is about 90Km from Windsor and is outside Sydney Metro area.
( Due to current Govt. restrictions on ‘Gatherings’ due to Corona19 Virus Pandemic, some families may wish to have a Memorial Service / Wake with friends and family at a later date )
Funeral Parlour: ?
Buried at: ?
Memorial / Plaque / Monument located at: ?
Dedication date of Memorial / Plaque / Monument: Nil – at this time ( January 2021 )
19 March 2017
ROBBO is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance * NOT JOB RELATED
FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
This morning at 9.15am EDST, Monday the 18 January 2021. The world became a sadder place and contains a great void in the hearts of many.
It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to inform all of the passing of:-
Raymond C. ROBINSON
“Robbo”
19/08/1953 – 18/01/2021
Registered No: 16203
Sergeant Retired, New South Wales Police Force
Class No: 138 14/01/1974 – 25/02/1974 Attested Pro/Constable
25/02/1975 Confirmed to Constable
25/02/1979 Promoted to Constable 1st Class
25/02/1983 Promoted to Senior Constable
Promoted to Sergeant 1989
Section 66 Inspector
What can I say Robbo was a close friend to myself and many others and a brother of the Thin Blue Line. He will be sadly missed by one and all even those that did not have the honour of meeting him in person. He was a larger than life character and a mentor to many in Law Enforcement and the Motorcycling world.
Robbo has ridden on ahead to check the roads and rides for those of us that will eventually join him.
R.I.P Brother, Til Valhalla
Funeral arrangements will be posted once they come to hand. Please keep Fay, Ashley and Robbo’s extended family in your thoughts and prayers at this of saddest time.
Harley Willox
Class 138, 16223
Ray Robinson back row second from left
Redfern Police Academy Class 138 of Feb 1974 BACK ROW ( L – R ) Andrew McCOULLOUGH # 16176, RaymondROBINSON # 16203, ?, Barry ODMARK # 16219, ?, ?, ?, ?, Sue BRENNAN P/W 0190 MIDDLE ROW: ?, ?, ?, ?, Ray POTTER # 16327, ?,?, ?, ?, ? FRONT ROW: ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, D.S. ( STEVE ) PACKER # 16225, ?,?, ?, ?
Ray leaves a legacy that extends literally around the globe, his life brought so many people together that formed so many new friendships it is amazing, but then that is Robbo, amazing. We will miss you, but not forget you. R.I.P..
Ray Robinson “ROBBO” talking things over with Brian Turner (sales Manager)
Ray Robinson “ROBBO” & Mal BROWN attended a Breast Cancer BBQ this morning. Neither of us wear or own anything pink so money went into the donation bucket. 10 November 2016
27 Feb 2019 · Ray Robinson blessing the lemonade at Wollombi.
18 Sept. 2016· Sydney · Castlebrook Memorial Park Rouse Hill for the Dawn Service to remember Bryson Anderson. L to R Mal Brown (me), Ray Robinson (Robbo), Harley Willox (Club President), Simon Bouda (Channel 9) That is my black Harley Ultra Classic. Another memorable Wall to Wall
1 March 2018 · Sydney · Mal Brown, , Bull Ant, Lloyd Taylor & Ray Robinson. Introduced Bull Ant to a NSWPF Association Legend Lloyd Taylor this morning.
Sunday 19 March 2017
Paul HUNT & Ray ROBINSON
Ray Robbo Robinson June 10, 2020 · I am proud to have served as a Cop. I am proud of my brothers and sisters who also took the Oath to be one. I am disgusted in the behaviour of some in our community that would NEVER have had the guts to Serve yet seem to know that ALL Police are shit…. Well, you people that think that, have a good look in the mirror if you want to see a pile of crap then go and have a good meal, go and have a drink before you climb into your nice safe warm beds and keep in that little brain of yours that those people you say are shit willingly provide you with the safety that you enjoy while you scream obscenities at the them…… Caragabal Police Station, NSW
1973, Shelley Beach ( The Shire ) ( Sutherland )
15 June 2020 Putty Rd, Colo, NSW
2 December 2020
Gary John COLLETT
22/01/2021
Gary John COLLETT
AKA Gus
Late of Wee Waa, NSW
“Possibly” related to Victor Frank COLLETT ( aka: Mopp ) NSWPF # 16977 from the same Academy Class &
a P.M. COLLETT NSWPF # 21939
a Glen J. COLLETT NSWPF # 28197
NSW Police Training Centre – Redfern – Class # 147
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # 16979
Rank: Commenced Training at Redfern Police Academy on ? ? ?
Probationary Constable- appointed 5 May 1975 ( Aged 24 years, 4 months, 6 days )
Constable – appointed 5 May 1976
Constable 1st Class – appointed ? ? ?
Detective – appointed ? ? ? ( YES )
Senior Constable – appointed 5 May 1984
was still SenCon in the 1989 Stud Book
Leading Senior Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Sergeant 3rd Class – appointed ? ? ?
Sergeant 2nd Class – appointed ? ? ?
Sergeant 1st Class – appointed ? ? ?
Final Rank = Detective Sergeant ?
Retirement / Leaving age: = ?
Stations: ?, Balmain?, Goodooga, Walgett as an*‘A’ Lister ( Detective )( early 1980s ), Mid North Coast – Forster ( Detective )( mid 1980s ), ( Detective mostly in Stock Investigation ), Dubbo ( early 1990s )( Detective )
Service: From? ?pre May 1975? to? ? ? = ? years Service
Awards: National Medal – granted 17 March 1992 ( Det Sgt )
1st Clasp to National Medal – granted 4 September 2001 ( Det Sgt )
Born: Friday 29 December 1950
Died on: Wednesday 13 January 2021
Age: 70 years & 15 days
Cause: ?
Event location: Dubbo Base Hospital, Dubbo, NSW
Event date: Wednesday 13 January 2021 during the p.m.
( Due to current Govt. restrictions on ‘Gatherings’ due to Corona19 Virus Pandemic, some families may wish to have a Memorial Service / Wake with friends and family at a later date )
Funeral Parlour: ?
Buried at: ?
Memorial / Plaque / Monument located at: ?
Dedication date of Memorial / Plaque / Monument: Nil – at this time ( January 2021 )
GUS is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance *NEED MORE INFO
FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
Gus is survived by his wife, Pauline, and two daughters.
* an ‘A’ Lister who a person who has applied to become a Detective.
He is placed on this list – then is ‘ trialled ‘ ( on Probation ) within a Detectives Officer to see if he has the ability to qualify for such a position.
We lost one of our bowlers last night at Dubbo Base Hospital. Gary had turned 70 on the 29 Dec 2020. He was of ill health for some time, but he being the very private person he was, did not disclose his illness.
Nothing further, than what is recorded above, is known about this man at the time of publication and further information and photos would be appreciated.
Cal
William John BEATON
22/01/2021
William John BEATON
AKA ?
Late of Five Dock, NSW
Police Training Centre – Redfern / Police Training College – Penrith Class # ? ? ?
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # 00022
Rank: Commenced Training at ? Police Academy on ? ? ?
Probationary Constable- appointed 30 April 1915 ( aged 23+ )
Constable – appointed ? April 1916
Constable 1st Class – appointed ? July 1924
Detective – appointed ? ? ? ( NO )
Senior Constable – appointed ? ? ? ( NO SUCH RANK AT THIS TIME )
Leading Senior Constable – appointed ? ? ? ( NO SUCH RANK AT THIS TIME )
Molong Express and Western District Advertiser (NSW : 1887 – 1954),
Friday 8 October 1943, page 6
CHILD’S TRAGIC DEATH
When Mrs. Frank Myors, who resides with her children in the cottage adjoining Spalding’s Garage, went to the front of the house to look for her two-year-old baby boy, Charles, she was horrified to see his body floating in the shallow water of the ornamental fishpond which receives the water from a fountain in front of the house.
She lifted the baby out and her call brought Mr. Alan McMahon, her neighbour, to her assistance, and Mr. Phillips, and Mr. Long ( of the Railway Refreshment Room ) both qualified first aid practitioners, were quickly applying treatment. Dr. Wilson was summoned and administered oxygen, but though at one stage some slight response gave a glimmer of hope, efforts at restoration were finally abandoned. Nothing definite can be ascertained as to the events which led up to the tragedy, but the presence of a severe bruise and an abrasion on the little victim’s forehead, suggest that he struck the base of the pedestal of the fountain in falling forward and was rendered unconscious or semi-unconscious by the impact. The water is about fifteen inches deep and such a sturdy child as he was, would almost certainly have scrambled out if he had not been dazed or stunned. The shallow basin contained a number of gold fish, and it was probably his interest in them which was responsible for the tragedy. A sad feature was the fact that the fish had been given away, and Mrs Myors was only waiting for the new owner to take the fish, to have the basin emptied. The Molong police immediately communicated with the child’s father, Pte. Frank Myors, who is at a northern battle station, contact being made with him within an hour. He was immediately granted leave but it is impossible that he can reach his home till today ( Thursday ). Much sympathy is expressed with the relatives of the child, who is a grandchild of Mr. F. H. Myors of our town. The remains were laid to rest in the Church of England portion of the Molong cemetery, Rev. J. Leighton Edwell officiating, McKeowen’s Funeral Service having charge of the funeral arrangements. At 4 o’clock yesterday ( Thursday ) afternoon, the local Coroner, Mr. J. H. Caldwell, held an enquiry into the cause of death and, after hearing the following evidence, found that Charles Francis Myors occidentally died from asphyxia from drowning when he fell into an ornamental fish pond in the grounds of his residence in Watson Street, Molong, on 5th Oct. Sgt. William John Beaton deposed: At about 11 a.m. on Tuesday, 5th inst., on hearing that a child had been nearly drowned I proceeded to Spalding’s Service Station in Watson Street, Molong, where I saw Dr. Wilson and first aid men applying resuscitation methods to the child, whom I knew as Charles Francis Myors. The child was lying on the floor of the garage. I learned that some little time previously the
child was taken from a fish pond by his mother. The fish pond is situated at the front of the child’s residence in Watson Street, Molong, next to the garage. I later examined the fish pond and fountain. The wall on the extreme outside of the pond would be about 2 feet in height. There was between 1 foot and 18 inches of water in the pond. The inside section of the pond which supports the fountain is built of concrete and all round has a jagged surface. I later viewed the body of the deceased and I saw a bruise on the forehead which I presumed could have been caused by the child’s head coming in contact with the inside wall of the pond in overbalancing when
making an attempt to retrieve something from the water. To Coroner: The bruise was slight. In my opinion the bruise could cause slight unconsciousness, which would cause the child to be unable to struggle out of the water. Dr. Gerald Barry Wilson deposed: On the morning of the 5th at about a quarter to 11, I received a call to go to Spalding’s Garage. On arrival I saw the body of Charles Francis Myors. The child was apparently dead, and Mr. Phillips was performing artificial respiration. The child was suffering from asphyxia and there was a considerable quantity of water in the stomach and lungs. With the aid of others I continued artificial respiration for about an hour and a half without affect. Death was due to asphyxia, caused by
drowning. There was an old scar on his forehead. I examined the fish pond and the jagged edge of the wall. It would be possible for him to strike his head on the wall in overbalancing. A child of that age, if he were injured or not, would probably not be able to recover himself if he were in difficulties. To Coroner: In my opinion everything possible had been done to restore the boy, some of those assisting were certificated first aid men. Mrs. Norma Myors deposed: I last saw Charles Francis Myors alive at about 10,30 a.m. on Tuesday morning. He was riding round the front bedroom on his bike. My daughter was ill in the bedroom. I went on with my laundry work at the back of the premises. The next thing I heard my daughter call out to me; it was about 10 minutes to 11. I walked to the bedroom door, and one of my shoes was lying in the middle of the bedroom floor and the other one was missing. I naturally concluded that the deceased had placed it in the pond at the front of the home, and I hurried to the pond to regain possession of it before it became soaked with water. On arriving at the pond I found my baby. As I came down the steps I saw what I though to be one of the children’s dolls floating on the water, and when I walked over I saw it was my baby. He was lying face upwards in the water. I grabbed him up and screamed for Mr. Young. I took him into the garage. It was a habit of his to put everything in the pool when playing. I think Allen McMahon took him from me, and I think Mr. Young went to the telephone. To Coroner: He always played near the pond, but we had never seen him climb on to it. To Sgt.: The boy’s body was limp when I lifted him out of the water. He was a strong child. He was not insured. Walter Lyndoch Young deposed: I am a motor garage manager and reside at the Telegraph Hotel, Molong. At about a quarter to 11 on the 5th, Allen McMahon and I were standing in the shop and I heard Mrs. Myors call out for me. We both rushed out and Alan McMahon met Mrs. Myors at the door and took the child from her. I told him to place it on the counter; he applied aid and I rang for the doctor and sent a messenger for Mr. Phillips, who arrived in a few moments and he applied first aid. The doctor arrived shortly afterwards and we sent for oxygen. Resuscitation methods were applied for at least an hour; Mr. McMahon worked on the body immediately and continued until the arrival of Mr. Phillips. We obtained hot water bottles from the railway. To Coroner: There was no signs of life. Archibald James Myors deposed: I am a shop assistant and reside at Molong. I identified the body of Charles Francis Myors on the 6th inst., he was two years of age. He was known to me as a strong boy. I last saw the child alive on the morning of the 5th inst., when I had him out in the car. In returning his verdict, the Coroner expressed deep sympathy with the relatives of the child and showed it in a practical manner by saving the distressed mother from any interrogation.
Nothing further, than what is recorded above, is known about this man at the time of publication and further information and photos would be appreciated.
Cal
14 January 2021
Bruce David McKEACHIE
22/01/2021
Bruce David McKEACHIE
AKA ?
Late of Crown Street, Harrington, NSW
( ” possibly ” related to Glen J. McKEACHIE, NSWPF # 22759 )
NSW Police Training Centre – Redfern – Class # 038
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # 6785
Rank: Commenced Training at Redfern Police Academy on Monday 26 June 1950 ( aged 22 years, 1 month, 23 days )( 1 month, 19 days at Academy )
Probationary Constable- appointed 14 August 1950 ( aged 22 years, 3 months, 11 days )
Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Constable 1st Class – appointed ? ? ?
Detective – appointed ? ? ? ( YES )
Senior Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Leading Senior Constable – appointed ? ? ? ( N/A )
Sergeant 3rd Class – appointed 1 July 1967
Sergeant 2nd Class – appointed 1 April 1974
Sergeant 1st Class – appointed 16 September 1977
Inspector 3rd Class – appointed
Inspector 2nd Class – appointed
Inspector – appointed 5 November 1983
Chief Inspector – appointed ? ? ?
Final Rank = Chief Inspector
Retirement / Leaving age: = ?
Stations: ?, Ashfield ( Det Cst 1/c )( 1960 ), Liverpool ( 22 Division )( Det Sgt 2/c – 1/c )( ? – 16 Sept. 1977 ), Fairfield ( 34 Division )( 1970s – October 1979 )( Sgt 1/c )( GDs ), Broken Hill ( Sgt 1/c )( GDs )( October 1979 – April 1980 ), ?
Service: From 26 June 1950 to? ? ? = ? years Service
Awards: National Medal – granted 8 June 1988 ( Former Det C/Insp )
Born: Thursday 3 May 1928
Died on: Thursday 26 J anuary 2012 ( Australia Day )
Age: 83 years, 8 months, 23 days
Cause: ?
Event location: ?
Event date: ?
Bruce McKEACHIE ( # 6785 ) taken in 1980s in the meal room at the old Fairfield Police station, Smart St, Fairfield, NSW.
( L – R ): Col PATEMAN ( # 16846 ), Warren McDONALD ( # ????? ), Sgt Don PATERSON ( # 9183 ), Bob McDONAGH ( # 8565 ), Bruce McKEACHIE ( # 6785 ), Trevor TOBIN ( # 14323 ) taken in 1980s in the meal room at the old Fairfield Police station, Smart St, Fairfield, NSW.
Records show that, in the beginning of 1942, the Officer In Charge ( O.I.C. ) of the ‘ Police Depot ‘, Bourke St, Redfern, was A. R. McKEACHIE. ( ” possibly ” another relative ).
Andrew Rowley McKEACHIE, Born 1889, NSW, NSW Police Reg # ‘Q ‘ 9175 – ProCst Thursday 29 December 1910
Info: Police Heritage Story
Cumberland Argus (Parramatta, NSW : 1950 – 1962),
Wednesday 14 December 1960, page 15
Granville Page
Win after close contest
Detective Constable Bruce McKeachie, of Ashfield, played a consistent game to win a stableford event in a competition staged by No. .9 Division Police Golf Club last week.
McKeachie gained 41 points to win from Inspector Ray Blissett, of Paddington, who returned 40 points.
It was McKeachie‘s first win in competition golf events organised by the Police Golf Club.
Presenting trophies to winners, the club president, Detective Senior Constable Jack Thompson, said he was particularly pleased that Detective McKeachie had won. He said he had been playing with the club for a long time, and this was his first victory.
Senior Constable Thompson also congratulated the other winners.
Next meeting of the club will be held at Carnarvon Golf Club, Lidcombe, on Christmas Day.
A single stableford competition event will be staged.
Players will receive a Christmas gift from the club. The event is set down to begin at 8 a.m. sharp.
The club has held elections for the coming year.
Elections resulted: President, Detective Senior Constable J. D. Thompson; vice-presidents, Detective Sergeant 3/c E. W. Quill and Detective Constable 1/c E. A. Booth; secretary, Detective Senior Constable R. S. Cox; treasurer, Detective Sergeant 3/c F. G. Bridges; handicapper and organiser, Senior Constable L. R. Clancy; club captain, Constable 1/c G. A. Dobbins; vice-captain, Constable 1/c L. Weston; committee, Senior Constable J. R. Beswick, Constable S. S. Johns.
Following are results of last week’s game:
Police — Detective Constable 1/c Bruce McKeachie, of Ashfield, first with 41 points; Inspector Ray Blissett, of Paddington, second with 40 points; Detective Sergeant 3/c Ted Bridges, of Lidcombe, third with 40 points.
Bridges was beaten on a count-back for second place.
Visitors: Mr. Hilton Neal, of Liverpool Golf Club, first with 38 points; Mr. Alby Beveridge, of Fox Hills Golf Club, second with 38 points ( beaten on a count-back ), and Mr. George Barker, of Cabramatta Golf Club, third with 35 points.
I remember Bruce as a Sgt 1/c at the old Fairfield Police Station ( same location as the present station but when it consisted of two separate buildings with the driveway down between them ).
Bruce was on GDs and I recall him as being under 6′ tall, with black ‘ brilcreamed ‘ hair – combed back and, I think, had bit of a prominent nose and / or jaw line.
He was a nice bloke.
Cal
13 Jan 2021
Nothing further, than what is recorded above, is known about this man at the time of publication and further information and photos would be appreciated.
Cal
Samuel REDSHAW
22/01/2021
Samuel REDSHAW
AKA ?
Late of ?
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # ‘ P ‘ 245
For the purposes of this website ‘P’ = represents those Police joining Pre 1 March 1862 when NSWPF “Officially” commenced.
Rank: Probationary Constable- appointed 26 July 1855
Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Constable 1st Class – appointed ? ? ?
Detective – appointed ? ? ?
Senior Constable – appointed 1 March 1862
Sergeant – appointed ? ? ? Is named as a Sgt in 1860
Final Rank = Sergeant / Senior Constable ?
Retirement / Leaving age: = ?
Stations: ?, ‘ D ‘ District ( Sydney Metro )( SenCon )( 1862 ), Sydney Police Force ( 1860 )( Sgt ), Eastern District – ‘ E ‘ Division – Liverpool ( Oct 1862 )( SenCon ), Ryde – ( 28 March 1883 )(SenCon ), Lock-Up-Keeper – Eastern District – ‘ E ‘ Division- Church St – Parramatta ( 1886 )
In articles of 1860, he is referred to a number of times as a Sgt.
27/7/1855. Samuel arrived in Sydney on the vessel “Exodus” as an assisted immigrant and his occupation given as Policeman.
Also aboard the same vessel were 96 other Policemen from England and Ireland from a Superintendent down, many with their families.
1857.
Married Agnes Caldwell at Sydney. Agnes was born c1834 County Antrim, Ireland. She arrived in Sydney in 1853 by herself as an assisted immigrant aged 20.
1862. Promoted to Senior Constable at “D” division. .
1864-1872. 5 of his children were born and registered in the District of Liverpool (NSWBDM)
1886. Lock up keeper at Church St, Parramatta. His residence was given Church St, Parramatta living with wife and children.
16/8/1886. Died at his residence, Police Station, Church St, Parramatta, leaving behind a wife ( Agnes ) and nine children ( Thomas, William, Samuel, John, Agnes, Jane, George? ).
Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 – 1875),
Friday 10 August 1855, page 1
MISCELLANEOUS.
NOTICE.- We, the undersigned, having been induced to leave our native country by the representations and promises made to us to serve as a police force at Sydney, New South Wales, we now find we cannot have those promises realized, and without which our position would be much worse here than in England.
And we feel we have been treated by the police authorities with such harshness and severity, and harassed by ( we were going to say ) legal proceedings – but which will be found to be illegal proceedings – that we have determined on taking such employment as we can procure.
We are further noticed that, on Saturday next, we are to be put on shore to seek lodgings where we can.
We have, therefore, determined to appeal to the public for prompt employment in our respective callings, and we are willing to accept service at moderate wages in Sydney, or in the country, as may be required.
We are assured by our legal adviser, Mr. Ryan Brenan, of the firm of Brenan and Russell, that parties employing us do not run the slightest risk, and we are willing to allow our wages to accumulate, for a reasonable time, to protect our employers, should they entertain any doubt on the subject.
We shall attend at the office of Mrs. PAWSEY, Registry Office, No. 60, Castlereagh-street, on SATURDAY and succeeding days, to meet applicants, and to produce our testimonials of character, &c.
Names, – Trade or Calling.
George Browne. Gardener
Richard Eades . Experienced Butcher
Robert Roe. Farm Servant
Donald Finlayson . Road Maker or Agricultural Labourer
John Gibson . Agricultural Labourer
William Craik . Kitchen Gardener
Edward Quinn . General Servant
Charles Harris. Shepherd
James Clifford . Machine Sawyer
Michael Prendergast . Groom and Horsebreaker
Joseph Peake. Groom and Coachman
Neil Buchanan. Farm Servant
James Hurley . Gardener, House, or Farm Servant
John Smith. Farm Servant
David Stuart . General Labourer
Allen McDurard, . Agricultural Labourer
Henry Hogg .Herdsman
Michael Higgins . Quarrymann
James Whitehall . Groom and Horsebreaker, or Coachman
Thomas McGregor . Shepherd
James Fairley . Agricultural Labourer
Patrick Maher . General Servant
James Levick. Woollen Weaver
William Elder . Farm Servant
Thomas Hand . Shepherd or Ploughman
Henry Kerr . Agricultural Labourer
Thomas Harris . General Labourer
Patrick Bryan . General Labourer
William McNish . General Labourer
Donald McMullen . Stoker
Patrick Levy . Farm Steward
Noble Handcock . Agricultural Labourer
Charles Woodhouse . Agricultural Labourer
Thomas Hegarty . General Servant or Coachman
William Roarke . General Servant or Coachman
Donald Sutherland . Herdsman
James Kennedy . Ploughman
Alexander Cohoon . Agricultural Labourer
John Blagbourn . Gardener and Sheepshearer
James Nichols . Gardener and Sheepshearer
John Holroyd . Woolsorter
Mathew Warburton . Agricultural Labourer
William Gough. Farm Servant
James Keenan . Farm Servant
Francis Keenan . Groom
Henry McLaren . Hotel Porter
Patrick Loughnan . Ploughman
Hugh Campbell . Agricultural Labourer
William Frederick Hitches . Gardener
William Clarke . Shepherd
Charles Robertson . Farm Servant
David Renne . Farm Servant
William Cooke . Farm Servant
Robert Fullerton . Farm Servant
Samuel Redshaw . Brickmaker
John McGregor . Farm Servant
John Grey . Farm Servant
Alexander McDonnell . Ploughman
Robert Swanson . Shoemaker
George Kennedy . Farm Servant
Patrick Lyons . Painter, Glazier, and Sign Write, or Clerk and Accountant in a Merchant’s Warehouse.
NOTICE. – The men named below, who arrived in this port by the ship Exodus, were engaged for, and are under agreements to serve in the police. They have refused to enter on their duties under their agreements, and the public are hereby cautioned against employing any of them, and thus subjecting themselves to the legal consequences of so doing.
W. C. MAYNE, Inspector – General of Police 10th August, 1855.
Patrick Lyons, Peter Murray, John Spooner, James Hurley, William Hitches, Robert Fullerton John Blackburne, James Levick, James Nichols, William Cook, Peter Barnes, Neil Bucchannan, Patrick Logan, John Smith, Edward Quinn, Robert Mayne, Thomas James, William Craik, Charles Sheasly, Henry Hogg, Richard Eades, John Gibson, Frederick Stukely, William McNish, Samuel Condick, Thomas McGregor, George Brown, William Clark, Joseph Howard, Charles Robertson, Thomas Hegarty, Francis Keenan, Jeremiah Phelan, James Keenan, Henry Kerr, David Rennie, Robert Rea, Robert Swanson, Michael Higgins, Patrick Meagher, Charles Woodhouse, James Fairley, Michael Prendergast, Hugh Campbell, James Whitehall, Thomas Hand, Joseph Peaker, Alexander Colquhoun, Matthew Warburton, Alexander McDonald, Samuel Redshaw, Hugh McLaren, William Gough, John McGregor, John Holroyd, James Gray, Thomas Harris, David Stewart, George Kennedy, Donald Finlayson, Patrick Bryan, John Clifford, Richard Fawcett, James M. Kennedy, Walter Murray, William Elder, Charles Harris, John Lawton, William Sutton, William H. Gill.
The boy Downs having died in the Infirmary on Wednesday morning from injuries received on Monday afternoon, by the falling of one of the upright poles erected in the Domain for the purpose of sustaining the balloon of M. Pierre Maigre during the process of inflation, an inquest was held on his body, shortly after mid-day, at the Three Tuns, King-street, before Mr. J. S. Parker and a jury of thirteen. John Kelly, Edward Atkinson, and Joseph Prior, three seamen of H.M.S. Juno, who were brought up at the Central Police Court on Tuesday, for riotous conduct in the Domain on the previous evening, and had been remanded till Friday, were brought before the Coroner in custody, it having been alleged that they took an active part in knocking down the pole which inflicted the deadly wound on the deceased boy.
The first witness examined was Emanuel Benjamin, residing in Clyde-street, Miller’s Point, who deposed that deceased, Thomas Downs, was his stepson, and that he was about eleven years old. Deceased obtained permission from his mother on Monday to go to the Domain to see the balloon ascent ; he was to return in an hour, but did not ; went to the Domain at 10 o’clock at night to seek for him ; then heard that two boys had been hurt, and taken to the Infirmary ; on enquiry there, found that his step-son was one of them ; identified, the body lying dead at the Infirmary as that of his wife’s son.
Donald McIntosh McEwen, a duly qualified medical practitioner, stated that, on Tuesday morning, between 9 and 10 o’clock, he made his usual visit to the Infirmary, and then saw the deceased, who had been attended immediately after the accident on the previous evening, by Drs. Nelson and McFarlane, in conjunction with the house surgeon ; examined deceased, and found him in a state of insensibility, with a very serious fracture on the left side of the head, extending from the forehead to the vertex ; about the vertex there had been several pieces of bone removed ; from the substance of the skull saw the place they had been taken from ; produced the pieces ; the injury he described would be quite sufficient to cause death, and such an injury would be inflicted by one blow from a heavy substance ; there was a clean cut extending from about the middle of the frontal bone to the vertex ; there was no coagulated blood on the surface of the skull ; the wound must have bled freely; a stick in the hand of a powerful man would make such a wound and fracture on a child of such tender years. On being recalled, the same witness stated that there were no other marks of violence on the body but the one he had described ; the evidence he gave was from what he bad seen, not from anything he had heard.
William Mortimer, inspector of the police force, and in charge of the C division, was next examined, and detailed at some length the riotous proceedings he had witnessed ; his attention was particularly called to some sailors belonging to H.M.S. Juno, forcing themselves over some iron fencing round the balloon ; he remonstrated with them, and got them to go back again ; about 7, when the balloon become inflated and rose two or three yards in the air, a rope fastened to the top of it became entangled ; some one cried out ” Cut the rope ;” M. Maigre was at that time in the car attached to the balloon ; it began swaying about, and the gas was escaping ; saw some sailors and soldiers, with other parties, pulling the balloon down ; his attention was called to a great number of persons rushing towards a tent in which the Governor and his suite had been sitting; followed and saw M. Maigre running, with a body of police around and protecting him, to get away to a place of safety ; on returning to the spot where the balloon was, having been away about four or five minutes, found the enclosure full of people, and among the most prominent saw some sailors of H .M. S. Juno, and some soldiers, who had surrounded and got hold of Captain McLerie, the Inspector-General of Police ; noticed the prisoner John Kelly; he, with other sailors, was pulling the balloon towards the fire, and they eventually burnt it ; saw the same prisoner most active in pulling down a tent in which the spirits of wine had been kept ; it was also destroyed ; about an hour after his attention was called to the same prisoner, who was engaged with other sailors destroying the fencing, chairs, and seats, throwing them into an immense fire ; Captain McLerie and he did all they could to prevent mischief ; he had been roughly handled, and threatened to be thrown into the fire by Kelly and others ; saw one of the poles pulled down with a great crash ; didn’t know by whom it was done ; also saw the second pole come down, a few moments after ; the sailors appeared to be a little groggy ; there might have been eight or nine of them ; had no doubt as to the identity of Kelly ; he was taken into custody and removed to St. James’ watch-house, where witness identified him as the leader of the mischief ; from the density of the crowd was surprised that so few people were injured by the falling of the poles.
William Hamilton Galbraith, a medical practitioner, had been in the Domain on Monday afternoon ; saw a machine miscalled a balloon, suspended from two pair of spliced poles ; saw it burned, together with a tent and its contents ; saw a soldier of the 11th upset an iron furnace in which was some ignited straw ; some sailors and others drew the balloon across the fire and set it in a blaze ; the tallest prisoner was the most conspicuous amongst them ; saw the poles pulled down by several persons whom he did not know ; there were boys and a woman among them assisting in pulling, and crying out cut the ropes ; took particular notice of the prisoner ; be ran bodily against the pole as soon as the ropes were cut, and by his main force shoved the pole down ; when the pole fell, heard a scream, and cries of Oh ! Oh ! ran to see what had happened ; found two boys lying, one with a severe cut in the head and quite insensible ; examined the wound and found there was a fracture of the skull, about four or five inches long : it was bleeding very much ; he breathed heavily ; heard afterwards that he was taken to the Infirmary ; did not see the prisoner cut any rope ; the poles would not have fallen had the ropes not been cut ; saw sailors, or men dressed like sailors, drawing out sheath knives about the pole ; immediately afterwards the ropes were adrift.
By the prisoner : At what time did you see me ? Answer : About seven o’clock. Had no doubt as to the identity of the prisoner.
Robert Hobbs deposed that he went to the Domain on Monday morning about half-past six with tents for the accommodation of visitors, and remained there till ten at night ; identifies the prisoner Atkinson ; saw him kick the furnace, and some sparks flew from it ; he did not kick it over; at the same instant the mob around said set fire to the balloon, which was no sooner said than done ; prisoner drew the balloon to the fire and set it alight, then drew it to the tent, with the assistance of Kelly and others, and set fire to the tent. The witness next described the pulling down of the poles ; the prisoner Atkinson let go the guys ; could have seen clearly had any one pushed at the pole when it fell ; did not see any one pushing it ; saw a soldier or marine about at the time the balloon and tents were burned ; he took a very active part in it ; did not see the second pole fall, nor did he hear any one call ” Get out of the way” before the first pole fell ; saw a man dressed as a sailor of the Juno, who was pockmarked; he took an active part in pulling down the poles ; could identify him.
By the prisoner Atkinson ; It was between half past 7 and a quarter to 8 that he saw the prisoner at the balloon ; recognised the prisoner by his dress and present appearance; he was a little excited from drink ; saw no sheaths or knives with the sailors.
George Nelson spoke generally as to the conduct of the crowd, and from the falling of the poles, from the position the boy was in, did not think he could have had anything do with the pulling at the pole which fell on him ; saw no one shove the pole, nor did he recognise the sailors now present as being there ; several sailors were throwing chairs and other things on the fire ; saw sailors with others pulling on the ropes, but did not see them do more than others did ; gave the alarm to the police that a boy was killed ; could not identify a single individual that was there.
At this stage of the proceedings, the enquiry was adjourned until next day ( Thursday ), at 12 o’clock, and the jurors bound over in the sum of £20 each for their appearance.
SECOND DAY.
Yesterday, at noon, the inquest was resumed at Mr. Driver‘s, King-street.
Mark Levy, furniture dealer, George-street, examined : Went to the Domain at 4 o’clock to see the balloon ; saw some men-of-war sailors there, who were the worse for liquor ; recognised the two shortest prisoners now before the Court as the men ; saw the sailor Atkinson pulling away the other, who gives his name as Prior, and persuading him to come away ; Prior wanted to fight some one ; they were disposed to be quarrelsome, and persuaded them to go away ; then saw Atkinson and Prior go out of the gate ; did not see them go near the pole ; it is possible that they might have got back to the pole without his seeing them ; saw lots of boys there, and it was his opinion they did most mischief ; was almost positive that the seamen now before the Court had no hand in pulling down the poles ; believed the people were quite as much excited as the sailors ; followed the body of the boy, and as he got outside the gate, saw the prisoner Kelly standing talking to some other sailors ; this might have been about 200 yards from the pole ; it is possible he might have come from the pole after it fell ; thought however, that he did not ; cannot say whether he was in liquor or not.
By a Juror : Was within a few yards of Atkinson when prisoner pulled him away.
By the prisoner Atkinson : Saw him first about four o’clock.
Samuel Redshaw, a police constable, stated that he did not see the first pole pulled down ; saw the second, however ; the prisoner Kelly was pulling a rope attached to it, and calling for help ; was about ten yards from him ; many civilians were assisting equally as bad as the sailors.
James Burt, sergeant of police, detailed the burning of the balloon, chairs, &c. With reference to the pulling down of the poles, he stated that there were civilians, as well as sailors and soldiers engaged in the work ; believes he saw the prisoner Prior there doing as the mob did ; the prisoner Kelly was not there to his knowledge ; had he been, thinks he must have seen him ; although he said that sailors and soldiers took an active part in the affray, he meant that they were more prominent by their dress ; the people were quite as much engaged as they.
William Carruthers, civil engineer, residing in Woolloomooloo, was in the Domain on Monday afternoon. His evidence presented no new feature, the chief point in it being, that before the pole came down a general shout having previously been given that it was falling, and to look out for it – it was almost impossible to say who was to blame in the matter, as it seemed a general thing. Dr. Duigan informed witness, after he had examined the boy, that he ( Thomas Downs ) could not live. Did not, on Monday, see any of the prisoners then before the Court.
This closed the evidence, and the jury shortly after returned the following verdict :- ” That the deceased, Thomas Downs, aged 11 years, came to his death by the falling of a pole in the Domain, on Monday evening the 15th instant, which was thrown down by a disappointed and excited crowd of people, out of whom it is impossible to single out any individuals as the ringleaders, or as throwing down the poles ; and we unanimously consider that, if any person is to blame, it is Monsieur Maigre, the perpetrator of the sham balloon ascent, which we consider caused the death of the said boy. We wish this to be considered a censure upon Monsieur Maigre. ”
ELECTORAL LISTS.- Notice is hereby given, that at a Meeting of her Majesty’s Justices of the Peace acting in and for the Police District of Sydney, holden at this office on the 31st of December last, and 1st of January instant, the following persons were duly appointed Collectors of the Electoral Lists within tho Police District of Sydney, under the Electoral Act of 1858, for the several electoral districts in connection with their respective names, viz. :
EAST SYDNEY.- Inspector James Singleton, Sergeants Charles Smith, Jeremiah Stale, William Sutton, and John Taylor, and Constables Matthew McKeogh, William Cook, William Fairland, and Roger Fenton.
WEST SYDNEY– Inspector George Reid, Sergeants Richard Lee and Edward Sweney and Constables Edward Bloomfield, Anthony Hargrave, Peter Grimley, Andrew Love, William McNish, and Samuel Condick.
CANTERBURY.- Sergeants John Nowlan, John Enright, and Denis Linane, and Constables Thomas Hanly, John Emerton, James Hart, William McNamara, and Charles Harris.
GLEBE AND BALMAIN.- Inspector Wm. John Weston, Sergeants David McMakin, and John Healy, and Constable Wm. Rourke.
ST. LEONARD’S.- Inspector Thomas Ferris Quirk, Sergeants George Lamont and Thomas Joyce, and Constables John Hiatt, John Sheaves, Stephen Whelan, Henry Blaber, Patrick Kelly, and Patrick Malone.
NEWTOWN.- Sergeant Peter Conway, and Constables John Ibbotson, James Fairley, and John Carroll.
PADDINGTON, SURRY HILLS, AND REDFERN.
Inspector James Black, and Sergeants Henry Hogg and Samuel Redshaw, and Constables Thomas McKenzie, Edward Slattery, and William Cook.
It is particularly requested that all persons entitled to vote under the new Electoral Act in the said districts will afford the necessary information, and otherwise facilitate the duties of the collectors, and the proprietors of unoccupied lands or other property in the rural districts of Sydney are invited to communicate with the collectors, in order that their names may be inserted in the Electoral List in respect thereof.
By order of the Bench of Magistrates,
GEO. WARBURTON, Clerk of Petty Sessions.
Central Police Office,
Sydney, 5th January.
Patrick Connery, indicted at the last sittings, was placed in the dock to stand his trial for that he, at Paddington, on the 13th day of October, 1859, did unlawfully and indecently assault one Mary Ellen Burke, a female child under the age of twelve years.
Mr. Butler conducted the prosecution against the prisoner, who was not defended by counsel.
The prosecuting counsel addressed the jury, and briefly stated to them the circumstances of the case.
Sergeant Samuel Redshaw, of the Sydney Police Force, deposed that he had arrested the prisoner on the fourteenth October last. Witness told him what was the charge against him. Prisoner said that the charge was a made up affair between the mother, the daughter, and the old woman Connolly.
The witness was cross-examined by the prisoner, but nothing of importance was elicited.
Mary Ellen Burke, the child referred to in the indictment, aged about seven years, was brought into court, but as she did not appear to have received any instruction whatever upon religion, her evidence could not be taken.
Catherine Connolly deposed that she knew the prisoner ; at the time that prisoner was arrested she was stopping at the house of Mr. Burke, the publican – the father of the little girl, Mary Ellen Burke ; witness one day went up stairs, and went into a room wherein there was only a basin stand and a box. This was three or four months ago. Mrs. Burke’s child was there, and the prisoner was also in the same room. [ Witness then proceeded to describe circumstances which amounted to a direct proof of the charge against the prisoner. ]
The prisoner had been drinking that morning, and seemed much the worse for liquor. Witness went down immediately, and told the parents ; the father questioned the child, and, on hearing what she said, struck Connery with a billet of wood when he came down stairs ; Mrs. Burke had sent witness upstairs for the child. Witness was cross-examined by the prisoner, but her evidence was not thereby affected. Cross-examined by the Judge, witness described the nature of the washhand-stand on which the child was sitting when witness went into the room ; the little girl was sitting on the top of it ; the prisoner had owed witness a pound for a long time, and witness used to ask him for it ; about a fortnight before this occurred Burke was bouncing the prisoner, and saying that he would not give up the property to him.
Mary Burke, the mother of the child Mary Ellen Burke, deposed that she remembered the day that something was done to her daughter. She was upstairs that morning with her brother ; they both once came down together : they had then some money, which the child said Paddy ( the prisoner ) had given to them ; witness was in the front room sewing, and after that sent the woman Connolly up stairs for them ; the woman came down stairs saying the child was destroyed ; witness saw her husband, just afterwards, striking the prisoner with a billet of wood; there was no difference existing between witness’s husband and the prisoner, except that Connery held a mortgage over the house. The prisoner had drunk something that morning, but was not drunk ; witness was not drunk. Cross-examined by the prisoner : witness admitted she had once been placed in gaol by her husband, and that prisoner had bailed her out ; witness had never expressed a determination to be revenged upon prisoner; the witness Connolly was drunk on that day, at the time she came down stairs, and made the statement against the prisoner Connery. The counsel for the Crown begged to withdraw the case.
The jury ( by the direction of the Judge ) returned a verdict of not guilty, and the jury intimated that the prisoner left the Court without any stain upon his character.
Sydney James Dalton was arrested by Samuel Redshaw, sergeant in the city police, charged with being in the dwelling-house of Rose Strange, for an unlawful purpose, on the 7th instant. The complainant Rose Strange, resides in Windmill-street, and only knew the defendant few days before she charged him with this offence.
It appears that he lodged in a house next door to the complainant, kept by a Mrs. Jacques, and about a quarter-past 2 a.m., on the morning of the 7th instant, the complainant was awoke by hearing a noise at the window shutters. She struck a light and saw defendant through the window, and asked him who he was and what he wanted, and he replied he would soon let her know. She went to the room in which her son slept, and roused him, and when they returned to complainant’s room Dalton was in the act of getting in at the window, whereupon, her son shoved him back, and he then went back to the house where he lodged.
On the following day, Mrs. Strange saw Dalton, and said if he apologised for what he had done, she would let the matter drop ; but he laughed, and said he was drunk at the time.
The prisoner, in defence, stated that when Mrs. Strange saw him the next day, that he said if he had been guilty of any ungentemanly act he was sorry for it.
The Bench ordered him to enter into his own recognisance in the sum of £50, to be of good behaviour for twelve months.
” 1. Has any communication been made to the Government, or to the Attorney General, relative to the alleged sudden and mysterious death of a man named Hart, a few weeks since, while in the service and upon the premises of Captain Moore, J P , of Liverpool ?
2. Was any inquest held upon Hart’s body, or magisterial investigation made at the time into the circumstances of Hart’s death ?
3. If so, by whom, when, and where?
4. Was there any post mortem examination, or was any – and, if any, what – medical man present at such inquest or investigation ?
5. What was the result?
6. Has any further enquiry been ordered, or is any intended, by the Government ?
Mr COWPER answered generally, that a communication was addressed to the Government and a magisterial inquiry held, the result of which he held in his hand, in the form of a police report.
It was as follows – ” John Hart, aged seventy-two, labourer, place of death, Asylum, Liverpool.
The deceased has been in the employ of Samuel Moore, Esq, J. P., Liverpool, for many years, but for some time past was not able to do much work.
He was very much addicted to drink, and on last Monday he got drunk, and a man named George Fagan gave him a slap on the face for making a noise in the yard, afterwards putting him into an outbuilding to sleep.
Yesterday morning, Captain Moore sent for me for the purpose of giving the deceased into custody for protection.
I saw that the deceased was very ill, and I sent a constable to Dr Smith for an order for his admittance into the Asylum. Dr Smith gave an order, and I had him removed there immediately, and he died this morning.
Dr Smith made a post mortem examination, and found that he died from apoplexy, and that the slap on the face did not hasten his death.
Samuel Redshaw,
245,
senior constable,
24th September, 1862 “.
The hon. Colonial Secretary stated further that, in consequence of a letter sent by Mr. Charles Luke Bayly, a second investigation was held before Mr Jones and another magistrate, with a similar result – the medical evidence proving death to have been caused by sanguineous apoplexy, and in no way brought about by the slap or blow which the deceased received.
The Coroner of Parramatta and Liverpool held an inquest at the Court-house, Liverpool, on the 24th instant, on the body of a man named Sidney Baldwin.
Samuel Redshaw, the senior-constable in charge of the Liverpool Station, deposed that at daylight on the 24th instant, he was in company with Mr. Thomas Thorn, searching for the body of deceased at Heathfield, about eight or nine miles down the George’s River, and found it in a paddock lying face downwards ; it was wet and covered with mud, and appeared to have been left by the flood waters as they receded ; it was then about 6 o’clock a.m. ; had the body brought to the police station.
Dr. Strong deposed that he had externally examined the body, and found it to present all the indications of death from drowning.
Thomas Thorn, farmer, Heathfield, deposed that he and deceased a little after daybreak on the 23rd instant started together on horseback towards a ridge, where some of witness’s cattle and horses were standing in the flood waters ; their horses got into a hole, and threw them both off into deep water ; both swam for it, holding their horse’s bridles; deceased said to him, ” I must let my horse go, it will be drowned ; ” witness then took both horses himself ; when he got standing ground he looked round for deceased, but he had disappeared beneath the water.
William Hart, a seaman, identified deceased as a shipmate of his by the Strathnaver, from England, in November last ; deceased came out as an able seaman, was 23 years of age, and a native of Manchester, England, where he had friends.
The Friends of the late Samuel REDSHAW, Senior-Constable of Police, are respectfully invited to attend his Funeral ; to move from his late residence, Police Station, Parramatta, at 2 o’clock, on WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, for Rookwood Cemetery.
REDSHAW.—August 16, 1886, at his residence, Police Station, Parramatta, Senior-Constable Samuel Redshaw, leaving a sorrowing wife and nine children to mourn their loss ; aged 56 years.
New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 – 1900), Tuesday 24 August 1886 (No.475), page 5733
In the Supreme Court o£ New South Wales.
In the estate, goods, chattels, credits, and effects of Samuel Redshaw, late of Parramatta, in the Colony aforesaid, senior constable and watch-house keeper, deceased, intestate.
NOTICE is hereby given that after the expiration of fourteen days from the publication hereof, application will be made to this Honorable Court, in its Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, that letters of administration of all and singular the estate, goods, chattels, credits, and effects of the abovenamed Samuel Redshaw, deceased, who died on the 16th day of August, 1886, may be granted to Thomas Redshaw, of Dowling-street, Sydney, in the said Colony, grocer, the eldest son of the abovenamed deceased.— Dated this 21st day of August, a.d. 1886.
ROBERT HENRY LEVIEN,
Proctor for the said Applicant,
George-street, Parramatta, and Phillip-street, Sydney.
Rookwood cemetery today, 6/1/2021. Paid my respects to-
Senior Constable Samuel Redshaw, #245
Born c1832, Derbyshire, England.
Died 16/8/1886 at Parramatta NSW, cause unknown.
Buried Rookwood, NSW.
His headstone has been vandalised with graffiti.
It also overlooks the “Old Anglican War Lawn Cemetery” which makes it very easy to find.
Grave location:
Old Anglican Section, EE, zone B, plot #183. GPS -33.866970, 151.053185.
That gps will take anyone to his headstone so much so that one can download it to a smart phone with location/gps turned on, fire up google maps and walk to its location on the map. Use it all the time for Rookwood. So accurate that I have stood on top of an unmarked grave. (Posted earlier for an unmarked grave of a Police Officer). Hope this helps.
Nothing further, than what is recorded above, is known about this man at the time of publication.
Cal
Brian Harold GILL
22/01/2021
Brian Harold GILL
AKA Lizard
Late of Townsville, Qld
NSW Police Training Centre – Redfern – Class # 129
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # 15054
Rank: Commenced Training at Redfern Police Academy Police on ? ? ?
Probationary Constable- appointed 13 December 1971 ( aged 24 years, 8 months, 13 days )
( Due to current Govt. restrictions on ‘Gatherings’ due to Corona19 Virus Pandemic, some families may wish to have a Memorial Service / Wake with friends and family at a later date )
Funeral Parlour: ?
Buried at: ?
Memorial / Plaque / Monument located at: ?
Dedication date of Memorial / Plaque / Monument: Nil – at this time ( January 2021 )
BRIAN is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance *NEED MORE INFO
FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 – 2001),
Friday 11 July 1980 (No.93), page 3627
COURTS OF PETTY SESSIONS (CIVIL CLAIMS) ACT,
1970 (SECTION 9) Rule 4 (1)
Instrument of Appointment of Bailiff
IN accordance with the provisions of the Courts of Petty Sessions (Civil Claims) Rules, Constable 1st Class Brian Harold Gill has this day been appointed to be a Bailiff of Courts of Petty Sessions and may exercise and perform all the powers, authorities, duties and functions of a Bailiff of such Courts within that part of the State, known as the Tottenham Petty Sessions District, effective from 18th March, 1980.
Dated the 5th day of June, 1980, at Sydney, in the State of New South Wales.
C. R. BRIESE,
(2578) Chairman of the Bench of Stipendiary Magistrates.
Brian told me once how he got the nickname Lizard.
He apparently used to work for the PMG, then later Telecom and now Telstra.
He was a linesman or similar, and he had a habit of falling asleep anywhere, any time, on a log, or whatever sunning himself, hence Lizard.
Well that was the version he told me.
He also told me another storey, which I will clean up here for public consumption.
Lizard liked a beer or three or more, well most of us have done this at one stage or another in our lives/service. He said he was so drunk one night that a took what he believed was a beautiful lady that he referred to as a “Tahitian Princess” to a hotel room for the night.
He could not remember much of the night of passion apparently.
Well the next day he woke up with (this is where I clean up the story) a very unattractive ugly female in bed. She laid across his arm asleep. He obviously woke up first, feeling the worst for wear. He did not want to wake her as she was apparently quite ugly. He figured he had two choices. Chew his arm off so as not to wake her, or just jump out of bed and run.
He apparently chose the latter choice. Now that is the clean version. Apparently a true story.
Oh The life of Brian.
Nothing further, other than what is recorded above, is known at the time of publication.
Cal
10 January 2021
Paul Christopher SCHREIBER
22/01/2021
Paul Christopher SCHREIBER
AKA Schreib’s
Late of Nowra Formerly of Goulburn, NSW
Brother to Kel SCHREIBER # 12911
NSW Police Training Centre – Redfern – Class # 191
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # 20701
Rank: Commenced Training at Redfern Academy Police on ? ? ?
Probationary Constable- appointed 11 February 1983 ( aged 24 years, 6 months, 28 days )
Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Constable 1st Class – appointed 11 February 1988
Detective – appointed ? ? ?
Senior Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Leading Senior Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Final Rank = Senior Constable
Retirement / Leaving age: = ?
Stations: ?, Sydney Metro area, Wellington, Braidwood, Narrandera, Goulburn
Service: From? ? ? to? ? ? = ? years Service
Awards: National Medal – granted 6 June 1997 ( SenCon )
( Due to current Govt. restrictions on ‘Gatherings’ due to Corona19 Virus Pandemic, some families may wish to have a Memorial Service / Wake with friends and family at a later date )
Funeral Parlour: Murphy family funerals, 85 Plunkett St, Nowra, NSW
02 44230722
Buried at: ?
Memorial / Plaque / Monument located at: ?
Dedication date of Memorial / Plaque / Monument: Nil – at this time ( January 2021 )
PAUL is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance *NEED MORE INFO
FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
Deepest sympathy to your family mate. Worked with you at Wellington late 80’s when you were the lock-up keeper. Many a good time had over a cold beer. R.I.P
Ingrid Schreiber Posted Jan 9, 2021 at 8:02 PM
Thanks so much for your message. The 80s seems like such a long time ago! Glad you have fond memories of our Dad, and thanks for sharing.
Schreib’s, so sad to hear of your passing. Enjoyed our time working together in Narrandera. Without doubt you were one of the best street Policemen I have had the honour to work with. A true genuine person and proud to regard you as one of my mates. Rest In Peace.
( Due to current Govt. restrictions on ‘Gatherings’ due to Corona19 Virus Pandemic, some families may wish to have a Memorial Service / Wake with friends and family at a later date )
Funeral Parlour: Guardian Funerals
Buried at: ? TBA
Memorial / Plaque / Monument located at: ?
Dedication date of Memorial / Plaque / Monument: Nil – at this time ( January 2021 )
LISA is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance *NEED MORE INFO
FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
Condolences to her partner, Grant Gibson & his two children, family and friends.
Lisa was the eldest child of parents, Ian Roderick Parrish and Marilyn Ann Gibson and Stepmom Judith Parrish.
Sister to Jody and Amanda and Aunty to their children.
Mother of Dayna, Hunter, Kade and Tamsyn.
This was published 13 years ago
Officer who found Byrne’s body grilled
The policeman who found Caroline Byrne dead at The Gap has told a Sydney court that in almost 20 years of rescue work, he had not seen any other bodies so far out from the cliff face.
Senior Sergeant Mark Powderly ( # 14425 ) gave evidence at the committal hearing for Gordon Wood, who is defending the charge that he murdered his former girlfriend.
The body of the 24-year-old model was found wedged head-first in rocks at the bottom of The Gap at Watsons Bay, in Sydney’s east, on June 8, 1995.
Wood, who was stockbroker Rene Rivkin‘s chauffeur at the time, is accused of throwing her from the 29-metre high cliff.
Exactly where Ms Byrne landed is central to the case, but her death was initially treated as suicide and no photographs were taken of her body at the scene.
Sgt Powderley told Burwood Local Court he and Constable Lisa Camwell retrieved Ms Byrne‘s body from a crevice next to a pyramid-shaped rock.
The officer, who spent 19 years in the Police Rescue Squad, said he had recovered up to 20 bodies from The Gap but had never found anyone that far out from the cliff.
Research by physics expert Rodney Cross allegedly shows that Ms Byrne could only have landed at this point, 11.8 metres from the cliff face, if she was hurled using a spear throw.
But a different place was nominated as the point of impact in a 1996 police video, which was played to the court.
In the video, Sgt Powderley narrates from the cliff top as Constable Camwell indicates a place several metres from the pyramid rock.
Sgt Powderley said he “wasn’t really concentrating” when the video – intended to publicise the Byrne case – was recorded.
He had only realised in 2004 that it showed the wrong place.
“If we were there to do a Forensic Services assessment of the scene and pinpoint the exact location … things would have been done differently,” he said.
Sgt Powderley said he saw the video for the first time at the 1997 inquest into Ms Byrne‘s death, but did not notice the position was wrong because he “just wasn’t paying the attention to it that I should have”.
Police initially gave Prof Cross the wrong information about where Ms Byrne landed and he concluded she probably jumped, the court has been told.
Defence barrister Winston Terracini SC suggested measurements of the location had been “wrong for ages”, but were changed when police received a report “that doesn’t suit their purposes”.
Sgt Powderley denied having been asked by the detective heading the investigation, Paul Jacob ( # 18752 ), to reconsider the body’s location.
Earlier, Prof Cross told the court he had not considered information from 1994 about Ms Byrne‘s sporting ability when concluding she could not have jumped so far from the cliff.
Instead, he used reports from Ms Byrne‘s high school teachers that she had no athletic ability.
Mr Terracini asked why he had not taken into account the more recent information which, he said, showed Ms Byrne “excelled at a whole range of different sports” including basketball, swimming and aerobics.
“I presumed that that material was provided by Caroline Byrne herself,” Prof Cross said.
On 9 September 2008 the Daily Telegraph / AAP reported “Exact spot of model’s body ‘forgotten’”
It said a police officer who recovered the body of model Caroline Byrne has told a Sydney court she will never remember the exact location of the body. Senior Constable Lisa Camwell told the New South Wales Supreme Court a controversial 1996 video re-enactment was her best memory of the recovery operation.
Ms Byrne, 24, was found wedged head first in rocks at the base of cliffs at The Gap, in Sydney’s east on June 8, 1995. Her live-in boyfriend Gordon Wood is on trial for her murder. Sen Const Camwell was one of two police involved in retrieving Ms Byrne’s body. She was tasked with carrying a body bag and stretcher across to the recovery site.
The officer today told the jury her recollection of the morning was based solely on her own actions “which was carrying equipment and looking at the ground”. When she took part in a video re-enactment about a year after Ms Byrne‘s death, Sen Const Camwell said she determined the place she believed the body found was based upon an estimate of how long it had taken her to reach it that night. “Most of those large rocks found down the bottom there are mostly just large rocks to me,” she said. “I wouldn’t ever say I know exactly where her body was.”
Sen Const Camwell said she had no further involvement in the case until she was contacted about the video in 2004. She told the court the officer then in charge of the murder investigation said the position of Ms Byrne‘s body had become a ” significant issue ”, and where she had indicated on the video appeared to be incorrect. She agreed with Wood’s barrister Winston Terracini SC that her best memory of events was as recorded on the video.
The location of the body is essential to the Crown case that Ms Byrne was not pushed nor jumped, but was forcefully thrown to her death. Sen Const Camwell‘s partner Mark Powderly has told the jury the body was recovered from a different location which is consistent with the theory that Ms Byrne was murdered. The location indicated by Sen Const Camwell supports the hypothesis that Ms Byrne took her own life. The trial continues.
MICK BRUNETTA had heard a lot of screams during his 17 years of fishing at The Gap, but he had never heard anything like the one he heard on the night of June 7, 1995, he told a murder trial yesterday.
Mr Brunetta and his brother-in-law Norm Wano were not having much luck as they cast their lines into the darkness from the clifftop. About 11pm they heard what they variously described as a woman’s “freakish scream” and that she sounded “like someone who was panicked or scared”.
Mr Wano turned and said, “F— man, what was that?” and the pair continued fishing.
Gordon Wood, 45, has pleaded not guilty to throwing his girlfriend, Caroline Byrne, a 24-year-old model, from the cliffs at the notorious suicide spot in Sydney’s east.
Mr Wano said that he contacted the police 11 months later after seeing a re-enactment on television where police asked the two fishermen, who were potential witnesses, to come forward.
Wearing an olive-green bandanna over his dreadlocks and his sunglasses perched on top of his head, Mr Wano said that although he was not a keen fisherman, he often accompanied his brother-in-law.
He said he had heard the scream about 11pm and, “It wasn’t a scream of happiness. It was like a scared scream.”
He said that later three men had come by calling out the name “Caroline”. Upon being told of the scream, Mr Wano said, one of the men had said, “On no, she’s done it, she’s done it.”
Mr Brunetta, who gave evidence with the assistance of an Italian interpreter, said that he recalled seeing a lone man calling out “Caroline” and that later that night that same man, who had blond hair, had come back with two other men. After telling the group of the scream, they asked to borrow his torch.
Mr Brunetta said his torch was not very good because the battery “was a bit flat”.
He agreed that in his 2004 statement he had said that when he saw the men trying to shine the torch to illuminate the bottom of the cliff, he had said, “There’s no way that man will be able to see anything because the torch is not strong enough.”
The two fishermen stayed on until dawn watching the police recover Ms Byrne’s body. Mr Brunetta said no one had ever taken him back to The Gap to try to pinpoint the exact location of where Ms Byrne had landed.
Also yesterday, a police witness contradicted another on critical evidence against Wood.
One officer told the jury that she would never be able to pinpoint the exact location of the body, which is vital to proving that Ms Byrne’s death was murder.
The jury has heard conflicting evidence about where the body was found, with senior retrieval officer Mark Powderly testifying Ms Byrne was some 10 metres from the cliff face.
But his partner, Senior Constable Lisa Camwell, yesterday told the court she believed Ms Byrne was in a crevice closer to the shore.
No measurements or photographs were taken on the night of her death.
A 1996 video re-enactment of the rescue operation shows Senior Constable Camwell pointing to a spot, which is referred to as the “exact location” of Ms Byrne’s body.
The officer yesterday said she had estimated the site based upon how long it took her to reach the body on the night of the retrieval, and the video showed her best recollection of events.
“Most of those large rocks found down the bottom there are mostly just large rocks to me,” she said.
“I wouldn’t ever say I know exactly where her body was.”
During the trial, the Court was told of some uncertainty regarding the actuallocation where the body was found. Senior Constable Lisa Camwell, one of theofficers who retrieved Byrne’s body in 1995 gave evidence that she had in 1996participated in a video re-enactment in which she indicated the body’s location.She gave evidence that in 2004 she was contacted by an officer in charge of themurder investigation (Sergeant Powderly) and told that the position of MsByrne’s body had become a significant issue. She was told that the body positionshe had indicated on the video now appeared to be incorrect. Media reportsduring the second trial suggested the location of the body was an essentialcomponent to the Crown case that Ms Byrne was not pushed nor jumped, butwas forcefully thrown to her death [The12]
2.4.3.3
Deliberation and verdictAfter five full days of deliberation on 21 November 2008 they found Wood guilty.On 3 December 2008 Wood was sentenced to a custodial sentence of 17 years,with a minimum time in prison of 13 years. Wood lodged an appeal to theconviction.2.4.4Inquests, Investigations and TrialsTwo inquests were held into Byrne’s death by New South Wales State coronerJohn Abernethy, with Wood claiming it was suicide. The second inquest in 1998delivered an open finding. That same year, Wood left Australia.Police investigations continued from 2000 onwards as “Strikeforce Irondale“with hundreds of witnesses interviewed and resulting in a brief of evidencerunning to more than 350 pages. Caroline’s father Tony Byrne continued to pressfor action from the investigation eventually enrolling the assistance of New SouthWales politician Fred Nile who raised questions about the investigation in StateParliament up till 2004.In 2004 scientific reports relating to the physics of a body falling/jumping/beingprojected from the cliff produced by Professor Rod Cross were the principalelements of new evidence which encouraged the Crown to push for a trial ofGordon Wood. In March 2006 the New South Wales Director of PublicProsecutions Nicholas Cowdery QC agreed with police that there was enoughevidence to charge Wood with Byrne’s murder. Wood was detained in London inApril 2006, extradited to Australia and released on bail by a Sydney court on 4May. On 6 July 2007, Wood was committed to stand trial for the murder of Byrne.The first trial started on 21 July 2008 with Mark Tedeschi QC appearing for theCrown and Winston Terracini QC defending Wood. On 6 August 2008, JusticeGraham Barr declared a mistrial because of the alleged contact that a member ofthe jury had with 2GB radio host Jason Morrison. The juror, who remainedanonymous, claimed that some of the jurors were planning a secret night visit tothe crime scene (the Gap) being organised by a particular juror who was a “bully”and who had “already decided that Wood was guilty.” Justice Barr ruled “I had todischarge the jury … because some jurors disobeyed my instructions andmisconducted themselves.”The second trial commenced on 25 August 2008 and for the first time in NewSouth Wales court history a panel of 15 jurors was sworn in instead of the usual12 to provide some contingency.
Caroline Byrne (8 October 1970 – 7 June 1995), an Australian model, was found at the bottom of a cliff at The Gap in Sydney in the early hours of 8 June 1995. Her then boyfriend Gordon Eric Wood (b. 1962), who at the time of her death was chauffeur and personal assistant to businessman Rene Rivkin, was convicted of her murder on 21 November 2008 and spent three years in Goulburn jail. He was acquitted of the conviction in February 2012.[1][2]
Events of 7 June 1995
The Gap at Watsons Bay, location of Byrne’s death.
Born on 8 October 1970,[3] Byrne had been in a relationship with Wood since 1992. She was a model but principally worked as a modelling instructor for Sydney deportment and etiquette educator June Dally-Watkins. On 7 June 1995, she failed to turn up for work and for an appointment with a psychiatrist. There were three claimed sightings of her near The Gap at Watsons Bay that afternoon and evening, in the company of two men, one of whom matched Wood’s description. Two of the sightings – at 1 pm and 3 pm – were by local cafe owners, Craig Martin and Lance Melbourne. In 1998 John Doherty, an Irish artist who had been out of the country in the intervening years, came forward to say that around 8.30pm that evening he too had seen Byrne outside his studio window arguing with one man while another man stood nearby.[4]
Wood denied being present at Watsons Bay that afternoon. Evidence was sworn at both inquests by Wood’s friends Brett Cochrane and Nic Samartis that they lunched with him briefly around 1:15 pm in Potts Point before he was called away after a call from Rivkin.[5]:206 Wood claimed that he was asked by Rivkin to chauffeur prominent lobbyist and ex-federal minister Graham Richardson to an appointment and then spent the afternoon doing regular chores for Rivkin before going home around 7 pm. The Richardson alibi was compromised by Richardson when he was interviewed by police in 2001, when he advised that he had lunched that day with rugby league administrator Peter Moore.[4]
Wood’s movements in the afternoon have never been reported prior to the late evening, when Wood said he awoke on his couch having fallen asleep in front of the television and was immediately alarmed that Byrne was still not home. Wood has said he did not know Byrne’s whereabouts but was led by what he termed “telepathic communication” to The Gap. He had first driven to the beachfront car-park at Bondi Beach where he and Byrne had spent much time and then to a favourite park at Camp Cove where they had often picnicked. Heading back from Camp Cove he spotted Byrne’s white Suzuki Vitara parked in a lane at The Gap. It was when running about the cliff-top and shouting her name that Wood encountered two rock fishermen who verified his appearance around midnight.
Wood then rang Tony Byrne and Caroline’s brother Peter. He drove back into Sydney city and collected them and all three then went to the Gap and scoured the cliff-top. Peter Byrne later gave evidence that at about 1am Wood claimed to have spotted her body at the base of the cliff using torchlight. Byrne himself said he could see nothing and nor could the police who arrived soon after with police torches. The night was dark and the cliff misty. Peter Byrne claimed it was difficult to see the rocks below the cliff, let alone a body. The contention whether Wood had claimed he could see something in the darkness figured in much media speculation over the years and formed a key part of Crown evidence in the 2008 trial. In 2011 the Appeal Court felt that the Crown had presented speculation in this area posing as evidence. This was one of the grounds resulting in Wood’s 2011 appeal being upheld.
The identity of the second man supposedly sighted by Melbourne and Martin with Wood in Watsons Bay earlier in the day has remained unclear. With evidence contradicting the likelihood that the man was either of those whom the police considered in investigation (Byrne’s modelling agent Adam Leigh or Rivkin associate Gary Redding) the Crown chose to pose speculation without evidence on either during the trial and drew criticism from the trial judge and later the appellant judges.
Media interest
Byrne’s death was accepted as a suicide by local Rose Bay Police and others. No photographs were taken of the location of her body’s landing point.
In 1996, Byrne’s father begin to agitate against the notion of suicide such that from 1997 onwards the case and circumstances of Byrne’s death were regularly examined in Australia’s national newspapers and reported as “one of Sydney’s unsolved crimes”. The death of a beautiful model at one of Sydney’s notorious suicide spots, the connection to the flamboyant and newsworthy Rivkin, and a net of witnesses and commentators which included some prominent Sydney identities all added to the intrigue of the case.
Offset Alpine speculation
Attention was particularly heightened by the still unproven speculation of a connection with Rene Rivkin’s financial activities. The day before Byrne’s death, Wood and Rivkin were interviewed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission about the Offset Alpine fire of 1993 and the true ownership of share parcels traded in Offset Alpine owned by nominees related to Swiss bank accounts.[5]:203 Tony Byrne claimed that Wood had indicated to his daughter that the fire was a set-up for insurance purposes.
Ultimately in 2001 Rivkin was charged with insider trading (of Qantas shares) and his eventual conviction in 2003 had a devastating effect on his mental stability, culminating in his 2005 suicide.[6] However the ASIC investigation into share trading in Offset Alpine and the true beneficiaries proved an epic that outlived Rivkin, commencing in 1995 and continuing from 2005 with a focus shifted to Graham Richardson and Trevor Kennedy until eventually closed without outcome by ASIC in 2010.[7]
Peripheral celebrities
Adding to this intrigue was a list of celebrities with a peripheral involvement in the case. Byrne’s medical doctor who had referred her to the psychiatric appointment she did not keep on 7 June was television celebrity physician, Dr Cindy Pan.[5]:205Graham Richardson‘s diarised luncheon appointment that day (which caused him to question whether he may have been chauffeured anywhere by Wood) was with rugby league identity Peter Bullfrog Moore at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel and was set up to broker a peace deal in the Super League war which deeply divided Australian rugby league at that time. Wood always claimed that he had driven Moore from a noon meeting with Rivkin to what may well have been a lunch, though the press and (later) the Crown ignored this possibility. Moore died in July 2000 a year prior to the Strikeforce Irondale interview with Richardson, thus preventing corroboration of the luncheon timings and Rivkin too was dead before the trial.[8]
Byrne’s close friends included entertainer Tania Zaetta and actress Kylie Watson, a Home and Away cast member. It was the amateur sleuthing around Watsons Bay armed with photographs of Byrne in the weeks after her death which had Dally-Watkins and Watson uncover the Martin/Melbourne sighting lead.[5]:206 Other celebrity witnesses who figured in the case at some point included businessman John Singleton, journalist Paul Barry and paparazzo Jamie Fawcett.
Inquests, investigation and trials
Two inquests were held into Byrne’s death by New South Wales State coroner John Abernethy, with Wood claiming it was suicide. The second inquest in 1998 delivered an open finding. That same year, Wood left Australia.
Police investigations continued from 2000 onwards as “Strikeforce Irondale” with hundreds of witnesses interviewed and resulting in a brief of evidence running to more than 350 pages. Caroline’s father Tony Byrne continued to press for action from the investigation eventually enrolling the assistance of New South Wales politician Fred Nile who raised questions about the investigation in State Parliament up till 2004.[9]
In 2004 scientific reports relating to the physics of a body falling/jumping/being projected from the cliff produced by Professor Rod Cross were the principal elements of new evidence which encouraged the Crown to push for a trial of Gordon Wood.[10] In March 2006 the New South Wales Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas CowderyQC agreed with police that there was enough evidence to charge Wood with Byrne’s murder.[11] Wood was detained in London in April 2006, extradited to Australia and released on bail by a Sydney court on 4 May. On 6 July 2007, Wood was committed to stand trial for the murder of Byrne.
The first trial started on 21 July 2008 with Mark Tedeschi QC appearing for the Crown and Winston Terracini QC defending Wood. On 6 August 2008, Justice Graham Barr declared a mistrial because of the alleged contact that a member of the jury had with 2GB radio host Jason Morrison. The juror, who remained anonymous, claimed that some of the jurors were planning a secret night visit to the crime scene (the Gap) being organised by a particular juror who was a “bully” and who had “already decided that Wood was guilty.” Justice Barr ruled “I had to discharge the jury … because some jurors disobeyed my instructions and misconducted themselves.”[12]
The second trial commenced on 25 August 2008 and for the first time in New South Wales court history a panel of 15 jurors was sworn in instead of the usual 12 to provide some contingency. [12]
Trial evidence
Presentation of the Crown case
Following the aborted first trial Tedeschi, as Crown Prosecutor, presented the Crown case over a nine-week period from 26 August until 24 October 2008. Over 70 witnesses were called and the jury heard hours of audio and video evidence including taped interviews with Rivkin and Wood.[13]
Witnesses called by the prosecution included Pan, Richardson, Watson, Zaetta, Singleton, Fawcett, Bob Hagan and sports journalist Phil Rothfield. Tony Byrne, Peter Byrne, Dally-Watkins and her daughter Carol Clifford appeared. Doherty and Cochrane gave evidence via video link up from overseas. Police witnesses included Tracey Smit ( ProCst # 61020 ) and Paul Griffiths ( # 23770 ? ) (officers on scene), Sgt Mark Powderly ( # 14425 ), Sgt Neville Greatorex ( # 16136 )(who gave evidence on police procedures), Snr Const Lisa Camwell( # ????? )(who retrieved the body) and the first investigating officer of the case Sgt Craig Woods ( #22599 ? ) of Rose Bay who had first dismissed the death as suicide and who gave evidence that in the first weeks Tony Byrne too accepted the suicide verdict and was explicitly against the idea of an inquest. Another ex-policeman to appear was Byrne’s former boyfriend Andrew Blanchette ( # ????? ). At one stage Justice Barr counselled Blanchette that he ought consider taking legal advice before answering a particular question. Sensationally on his second day in the witness box, Blanchette admitted that early that morning he had phoned another witness – Melinda Medich, his girlfriend and a minor at the time of Byrne’s death – before she was due to give evidence later that day. Blanchette was reported to police by Medich who had not heard from him for a number of years. Blanchette denied that he had been attempting to influence her evidence.
Location of the body
Retired University of Sydney physicist Associate Professor Rod Cross spent two days in the witness box. Over a six-year period Cross had produced six reports on the case – with his initial findings being quite different to the later findings presented in the trial.[10] Although formally qualified in the field of plasma physics, Cross had experience working with biomechanists regarding sports research and had published and refereed many papers on biomechanics;[14] he was therefore proposed by police investigators as a forensic expert in fall dynamics. Between 1998 and 2004 Cross’ reports all concluded that Byrne could have jumped to her death, as he was told that Byrne’s body had been found at a distance of 9 metres (30 ft) from the cliff.[15] In 2005, when he was recontacted by the police that the position of the body was in fact farther away (11.8 metres (39 ft)), he conducted experiments which informed his speculation that Byrne could not have jumped that far and must have been thrown.[5]:210[16] The required launch speed, from the top of the 29 metres (95 ft) high cliff, was 4.5 m/s (see range of a projectile[17][18]), and the available runup distance was only 4 metres (13 ft) – although appeal submissions in 2011 called this into question. Cross tested eleven females from the New South Wales Police Academy and found that they could dive and land head first (in a swimming pool) at about 3.5 m/s after a 4 metres (13 ft) runup. A strong male could throw a 61 kilograms (134 lb) female at 4.8 m/s after a runup of only 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) or 3 metres (9.8 ft).
During the trial the Court was told of some uncertainty regarding the actual location where the body was found. Senior Constable Lisa Camwell, one of the officers who retrieved Byrne’s body in 1995 gave evidence that she had in 1996 participated in a video re-enactment in which she indicated the body’s location. She gave evidence that in 2004 she was contacted by an officer in charge of the murder investigation (Sergeant Powderly) and told that the position of Ms Byrne’s body had become a significant issue. She was told that the body position she had indicated on the video now appeared to be incorrect. Media reports during the second trial suggested the location of the body was an essential component to the Crown case that Ms Byrne was not pushed nor jumped, but was forcefully thrown to her death.[19]
Suicide history
The court heard that Caroline’s mother Andrea Byrne had committed suicide in March 1991 after she became depressed following a breast enlargement operation that went wrong.[20] Terracini also read to the court a letter Tony Byrne had previously provided to police in which he claimed that Caroline had made an attempt on her own life via overdose in 1992. In court Tony Byrne denied that Caroline had on that occasion intended to kill herself and instead was making “a cry for help”. At another stage of the cross examination, he claimed to suppose that had Caroline wanted to kill herself she would have copied her mother’s method rather than jumping from a cliff.[21]
Byrne’s doctor, author and television personality Cindy Pan, gave evidence that she had seen Byrne for two years before her death and had specifically discussed Byrne’s depression with her in the weeks leading up to her death. Dr. Pan told the court Byrne said she had felt depressed for about a month and the condition had worsened in the week leading up to their appointment on 5 June 1995. Pan said the model told her she could not put a finger on what she was unhappy about.
“I was trying to explore with her what she might be depressed about, but she was not really able to identify any one specific thing,” Pan told the court. She said Byrne told her she “had the same thing three years ago” and had been put on medication, which had helped. Pan said Byrne denied having thoughts of self-harm and she referred her to a psychiatrist, obtaining an appointment for 4 pm on 7 June.[22]
Presentation of the defence
One defence witness, Prof John Hilton, a forensic pathologist, was called during the Prosecution case, due to his later unavailability. Otherwise Terracini commenced the defence case on 27 October 2008 calling another physics expert Prof Marcus Pandy, a electromechanical engineer who conducted experiments on running and jumping speeds of two females. Only a handful of defence witnesses were called – two forensic pathologists, one psychiatrist, Prof Pandy, a stunt diver, and Wood’s sister Jacqueline Schmidt – and the defence case concluded within a week.
With the trial drawing to a close, the jury made a number of requests of Justice Barr that included a visit the Gap for a third time; for a transcript of Doherty’s evidence; and for video footage of Pandy’s running experiments.[23]
Deliberation and verdict
For the first time in New South Wales court history, a ballot was used to select the three jurors who would stand down so that twelve of the sitting fifteen would deliberate to a verdict. After five full days of deliberation on 21 November 2008 they found Wood guilty.[24][25] On 3 December 2008 Wood was sentenced to a custodial sentence of 17 years, with a minimum time in prison of 13 years. Wood lodged an appeal to the conviction.[26]
Appeal
Wood’s appeal hearing commenced on 22 August 2011 in the Criminal Court of Appeal before Chief Judge at Common Law Peter McClellan, Justice Megan Latham, and Justice Stephen Rothman. Wood’s barrister Tim Game SC submitted that the jury’s verdict was unreasonable and not supported by the evidence. His submission spoke of nine grounds for appeal. One was that the trial miscarried by reason of the prejudice occasioned by the Tedeschi’s closing address. Others related to criticisms of Barr’s directions to the jury.
Early media reporting of the appeal focused on Game’s submission that the scientific evidence used to convict Wood and presented by Associate Professor Cross was flawed. A photograph was presented in the trial and purported to be taken in 1996 showing that scrub near the fence line had limited Byrne’s possible run-up to the jump, supporting an argument that she would have needed to have been thrown to achieve the horizontal distance from the cliff wall that her body travelled. The appeal judges heard and the Crown acknowledged that the photo was in fact taken in 2003 and that photo’s quality meant that a shadow might have appeared to be scrub. The appeal judges heard that a 1996 colour photo which showed that there was no scrub limiting the run-up was available to the Crown during the trial but that the Crown had chosen to introduce the blurrier, non-contemporaneous, more ambiguous image.[27]
Game’s submission, consistent with so much of the trial evidence, concerned matters relating to the exact positioning of Byrne’s body at the base of the rocks and the orientation of her legs and torso and leading to questions regarding the contended launch point and the assumptions and assertions made by Cross in his pre-trial studies and reports and his trial evidence. Day two of Game’s submission focused on the police’s changed view between 1996 and 2005 as to Byrne’s landing spot and specifically trial evidence given by Sergeant Mark Powderly used to justify the reconstruction.[28]
The Criminal Court of Appeal delivered their opinion on 24 February 2012 acquitting Wood of Byrne’s murder and ordering his release from jail.[1] The appellate judges delivered a unanimous decision that there was insufficient evidence beyond reasonable doubt that Wood murdered Byrne and that the jury’s verdict was not supported. They dismissed the Crown evidence as being critically flawed and ruled that the possibility of her suicide ought not have been excluded.[1][2]
Justice McClennan described Cross’ experiments as “unsophisticated” and in the summation of his decision said that he was not satisfied by either of the two motives presented by the Crown.[1] Regarding the motive submitted by Tedeschi that Byrne had information about Rivkin’s business dealings that Wood was trying to hide, McClennan said “The exploitation of public rumour and the use of mere innuendo to compensate for inadequate evidence of motive is not consistent with the obligations of a prosecutor to press the Crown case “to its legitimate strength” by reliance upon credible evidence”.[2]:para 305 McLennan was also troubled that the notion Byrne may have been unconscious when she left the cliff top was introduced by the Crown late in the case.[2]:para 277 He described Tedeschi’s suggestion, first made in his closing address and mentioned at no other time in evidence, that a “shot-put” action was used to despatch Byrne as “an invention of the prosecutor…for which there was absolutely no support in evidence”.[29] McClennan also expressed some doubt as the reliability of evidence concerning the claimed sightings of Wood and Byrne at Watson’s Bay on 7 June 1995 noting that some of these witnesses had come forward years after the event and the initial investigations; he raised concerns that the Melbourne/Martin first identification of Wood and Byrne was based on a specific photos shown to them by Dally-Watkins rather than from being picked from a selection. Tedeschi was criticised by McClellan for presenting reasoning that was “dangerous” and “entirely without foundation”. Tedeschi contributed to the alleged miscarriage with his “50 killer questions” which took an “impermissible course” in asking the jury to consider rhetorical questions dealing with matters that had not been presented with in evidence.[29] McClennan ruled that he was not persuaded that Sgt Powderly’s evidence regarding the changed landing position of the body was entirely reliable.[2]:para 317
Wood was freed from prison on 24 February 2012; having served three years two months in Goulburn Correctional Centre, following an initial month in Parklea prison. Three weeks later the new New South Wales Director of Public Prosecutions, Lloyd Babb SC, issued a press release simply announcing that “the OPDD will not appeal the Court of Criminal Appeal’s judgement in the matter of R v Gordon Wood . No further comment will be issued”.[30] This was 24 hours after meeting Tony Byrne and attending the Gap with him – a meeting which Byrne described as ‘fruitful’.[31]
Post-appeal
Wood left Australia after his release from prison and spent time in the United States and Britain. In 2014 he brought defamation actions against the Sydney radio stations 2GB and 2UE, Channel Seven Sydney, and The Daily Telegraph[32] which were all settled out of court in his favour for undisclosed sums.[33]
In 2016 Wood sued the state of New South Wales for millions of dollars plus costs for malicious prosecution and wrongful imprisonment, based on a number of grounds including a “hopelessly corrupted” and “ridiculous” police case against him.[34] In a witness statement filed as part of his lawsuit against the state, Mr Wood said that during his three years in Goulburn Jail he lived in constant fear of guards who dished out “therapy” and was king-hit (a term widely used in Australia, meaning a very hard punch, usually delivered to the head, that is completely unexpected) and knocked unconscious in the prison yard by an infamous rapist and killer.[35] The suit was dismissed on 10 August 2018, with Wood receiving no compensation.[36]
