[27] On 6 March 2015, both accused were arraigned at a hearing in the NSW Supreme Court. In August 1980, Flannery, Mark Alfred Clarkson and Kevin John Henry "Weary" Williams were arrested and charged with Wilson's murder. He played a fat, little jerk really well, which is exactly what I reckon Carl Williams would have been like. Edelsten was convicted on 27 July 1990 for perverting the course of justice and also for soliciting Flannery to assault a former patient. When Drury rejected repeated attempts at bribery, Williams claims, he agreed to pay Flannery and Rogerson $50,000 each to murder Drury. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Several received jail (or gaol, in Australia) sentences, some disappeared (either by their own hand or by someone else's), or, in some tragic cases, suicided. Ned Kelly Syndrome. We had nine killed in a year which was pretty good. ISBN9781925675443. Call Us Today! Police who declared they could identify Williams were discredited and only Drury's evidence survived. [28] On the second day, the trial was aborted because of the potential prejudice caused after McNamara's then-barrister Charles Waterstreet made a reference to Rogerson "killing two or three people when he was in the police force. He was then just an old man making a modest living out of peddling dog-eared crime stories to the unsuspecting. "When I knew he had been shot it was panic stations. Drury was also interviewed, but was not considered a serious suspect. Duncan McNab has been in the courtroom for eighteen weeks, from the beginning of the trial, andRoger Rogersonwill build on the insight Duncan has from the research into his previous book on Rogerson,The Dodger, and from close observation of the Sydney crime scene for many years. I asked him if he could do anything in regard to getting him to change his evidence or slow it down. If I had to make a comparison to Blue Murder I reckon it stacks up pretty well. Every Monday is about to become Mad Monday on 7mate, with the launch of a new prime time AFL footy show set to bring all the weekend's AFL antics to Western Australian viewers. Years later Williams told me what really happened. Need a bigger car park, Jeremy? On June 6, 1984, as Drury was washing dishes at his Chatswood home Flannery shot him through the kitchen window. During the interview, Roger spoke about Ben Elton's new role as a cast member, Queen's US touring plans for later this year, and the band's . Those who have seen recent images of Roger "The Dodger" hobbling along as a 75-year-old with a dodgy hip may find it hard to imagine him as a ruthless, charismatic and dangerous detective destined for higher office. The celebration kicks off on Thursday, 4 May at 8.30pm with The Queen's Coronation in Colour, a behind-the-scenes look at the most elaborate ceremony of the 20th century that saw Princess Elizabeth crowned Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. To say he is rotten as a chop is to be grossly unfair to those delightful meaty delicacies, Roger Rogerson is escorted from court during his trial for the murder of Jamie Gao.Credit: Daniel Munoz, He claims I have an obsession with corrupt NSW coppers and have treated some wonderful detectives unfairly. Williams went into hiding, was eventually arrested and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder and the attempted bribery of Drury. Taking out the rubbish. Morton and Lobez not only provide many appalling examples of police corruption across the country, from hapless Victorian Chief Commissioner (later Field Marshal) Thomas Blamey, being forced to resign after a string of scandals in 1936, including being caught, literally with his pants down, in an infamous Melbourne brothel; the long-standing "joke" involving Queensland's top cops and politicians at the heart of the 1987 Fitzgerald Royal Commission, and countless other nefarious bent police around the country who neglected to protect the public as they served their own interests. He had an inside man in Victoria a well-respected long-term investigator and through him he tried to buy back the key evidence: the heroin found dumped at Melbourne University. Jamie Gao (left) exchanged hundreds of texts with ex-cop Glen McNamara before making a doomed drug deal which culminated in the 20-year-old's body being dumped (right) off Cronulla, Rogerson, handcuffed and limping, is taken from his Padstow Heights home seven days after Gao's murder and a day after the wannabe drug dealer's body was found dumped at sea. Upon his release he finds work as a scaffolder, Rogerson in 2004, before being sent to jail for lying to the Police Integrity Commission, 1995: Blue Murder, an ABC series about his friendship with gangster Neddy Smith is aired, 2005: Rogerson is sent back to jail for lying to a 1999 Police Integrity Commission, 2006: Following his release from prison he launches his own stage show with criminal Mark 'The Chopper' Read, touring Australia's nightclubs, 2008-9: Rogerson becomes media commentator and Underbelly TV show reviewer for The Daily Telegraph, 2014: Rogerson is arrested for murdering student Jamie Gao in a Padstow storage unit over three kilograms of ice, 2016: He is convicted of killing the 20-year-old at NSW Supreme Court, 2021: Rogerson unsuccessfully appeals his conviction in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal, 2023: Rogerson, now 82, makes last ditch appeal in the High Court of Australia. [2]:66, In 1974, Flannery and two other men were alleged to have committed an armed robbery on a David Jones store in Perth. Later that year he is sacked from NSW Police for misconduct, 1989: Rogerson is acquitted of bribery and attempted murder of Michael Drury, 1990: Rogerson is jailed for nine months for perverting the course of justice after lying about $110,000 deposited into accounts, 1992: He is jailed again for three years after unsuccessfully appealing the conviction. He was willingly seduced to the dark side, a world where he and his corrupt mates didn't just turn a blind eye to crime, they organised their own, using underworld pals to carry out armed robberies, massive burglaries and drug rip-offs. He was surprisingly friendly recalling that at one show women at the front table with an Underbelly book asked what he thought of me. Flannery began his life of crime at a young age. The gripping and graphic true story of Sydney's underbelly. As Drury was the key witness Williams decided to try to bribe the interstate detective to throw the case. But the arrest crew got it horribly wrong. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Smith wrote in his '95 novel Catch and Kill Your Own, that, "he heard a story that he had been driven to the Darling Street wharf and, hands cuffed behind his back, was thrown from a launch with an . It wouldn't have happened up here in Sydney like down there. Flannery was subsequently acquitted. Rogerson's application for leave to appeal in Australia's highest court will wait for a response from the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, then proceed from around March. On 15 June 2016, Rogerson and McNamara were found guilty of Gao's murder. Having failed to catch him with the heroin the prosecution would rely heavily on police evidence that was deeply flawed. Sallie-Anne Huckstepp was the first person to lift the lid on corruption and the rogue gallery of criminals and crooked cops running organised crime in Sydney and around Australia. He spent a further three years in jail. Unlike Brian Alexander, his body was later found. The same cop would later go on to suicide when it came to his turn to testify, so that he would not go to jail, nor dob on his mates (or be killed). [6], After his acquittal, Flannery bought a house in Turrella and brought his wife, Kathleen, and children up from Melbourne. He looked real and I think the Munster was that type of guy, pretty humorous with a tough streak. However, he was provided with a medical certificate by Geoffrey Edelsten certifying that he was unfit for trial in order to avoid Flannery being tried by a particular judge. In addition to furnishing more than 60 pages of notes and references, they also speculate on the cause of corruption and how to deal with it when, as criminologist David Dixon points out, it will be more politically sophisticated and difficult to define, especially when politicians campaign on "Laura Norder" but turn a blind eye to police misbehaviour something of concern as the NSW government spends more on sniffer dogs to harass commuters, but seeks to reduce the ICAC's funding and powers. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christopher_Dale_Flannery&oldid=1149176502, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2020, Articles needing additional references from January 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Flannery's early experience in prison was the inspiration for the, In the first episode and world premiere on 24 June 2010 Australian true-crime series, This page was last edited on 10 April 2023, at 16:19. Flannery, in leaving for the rendezvous, was unable to start his car. Flannery's trial had been scheduled for 31 January 1984. According to an online law paper, "Generally, on the basis that the killing of a judge or prosecutor only means that person will be replaced and that inquiries will intensify, lawyers are safe unless they cross over the line and become players in organised crime". Finally it was decided Victoria would provide $110,000 to buy the drugs and NSW the undercover operative, the smart and ambitious Mick Drury who, along with Rogerson had won the prestigious police Peter Mitchell Trophy. Media enquiries please Call or Text 0428-275-111. It cleaned the streets up a bit and saved the taxpayer money, instead of sending them to jail. Big Sky Publishing. The actor is playing 'Teflon John' Ibrahim. In return for a share of the profits they "green lighted" their favourite crooks, declaring them protected species. And like crooks they had nice wives, kids at home and a nice family background. 8 reviews The book behind the hard-hitting TV drama Art imitates life. "I was a giant in the trade; I thought I was invincible, and unpinchable. For entertainment, I'd give it four out of five. To join the conversation, please [citation needed], On his release from prison, Flannery became a bouncer at Mickey's Disco, a night club in St Kilda, but was quickly bored by the work and moved into contract killing, hence the moniker "Mr Rent-A-Kill". Everyone, including his colleagues, expected him to die. Only now, with the court's verdict of murder, can many stories of Roger Rogerson be told. [4][5] During his time in office he was implicated inbut never convicted oftwo killings, bribery, assault and drug dealing.[6]. February 14, 2008 - 12:00AM ROGER Rogerson is a former NSW detective who was at the heart of Sydney's gangland drug wars in the eighties. I didn't want to do the business. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Father dies eight days after getting stuck in indoor cave at tourist attraction: Tragedy at climbing wall as Celebrity chef Jock Zonfrillo was found dead at hotel aged 46 'after flying back to Australia on his own Cookery's ultimate hellraiser dead at 46: British Masterchef host Jock Zonfrillo lost his virginity at 12, King Charles' Coronation LIVE: Late monarch's confidante leaves grace-and-favour cottage, Princess Charlotte Death of Botox and fillers as Brits seek a 'natural' look: Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague inspires huge Did the King gift the late Queen's dresser Angela Kelly a house in bid to stop another royal memoir? There have been six full series, with season 7 being a miniseries. And the superstar of the NSW Police Force, Roger Rogerson, was the terrorising criminal at the centre of it all. But Weel was told of the plan and quickly had the heroin tested to ensure that even if it was switched, the evidence already existed to nail the crook. [16] During the inquest, the coroner found Rogerson was acting in the line of duty, but a jury declined to find he had acted in self-defence. SMH Picture by WADE LAUBE Roger Rogerson outside the Downing Centre where he is facing a minor charge relating to his directorship of a company, 22 October 2001. All times AEST (GMT +10). He was released without charge. In contrast to series like Underbelly, which continue to perpetuate Ned Kelly syndrome in sensationalising and celebrating criminals, both books must be commended for exposing their sordid misdeeds without fear or favour. No longer were bent cops like Rogerson untouchable. Specialising in Australia & New Zealand Crime Fiction Reviews since 2006. [8] Rogerson was seen in the area in the days after the shooting and was interviewed by police. She was planning to testify against Roger Rogerson, in regards to a previous murder the former police officer committed, when she disappeared around the same time that Brian Alexander disappeared. . All times AEST (GMT +10). He has been the subject of articles, appearances, profiles and books; portrayed in TV dramas; and recorded by . [14][15], The Peter Mitchell Award was presented to Rogerson in 1980 for the arrest of escaped armed robber Gary Purdey. Mr Gao's own car, a white Nissan Sylvia sedan, was found abandoned in Stuart Street, Padstow later that afternoon, and police issued a report about him missing and fearedkidnapped and killed. Roger Rogerson: From Decorated Policeman to Convicted Criminal The Inside Story. Mr Kenny said police had 'totally betrayed our trust' innot honouring the arrangement and he would make an official complaint. Drury had been the undercover agent involved in a police drug operation which resulted in charges being laid against Flannery's friend, Alan Williams. That is the name former Federal Police Commissioner Sir Colin Woods finally gave in 1982 to Australia's other national obsession: our fascination with, and lionisation of, our most infamous criminals, from Kelly to Squizzy Taylor, Tilly Devine to Chopper Read. [19], Rogerson was dismissed from the NSW Police Force on 11 April 1986 (had not seen active service since his suspension on 30 November 1984 as a result of the Drury investigation). [12] He has two daughters by his first wife Joy Archer. Jamie Redknapp sells six-bed Surrey mansion he shared with both his wives for 4.95M Partygate civil servant Sue Gray could be barred from joining Labour for a year as 'vindictive' Cabinet Why you DON'T need to ask your in-laws' permission to propose! The control has gone. Quite simply, he knows more about Roger Rogerson than anyone else alive. Detectives drag Roger Rogerson from his Padstow Heights home. In 1982, a jury failed to reach a verdict and a retrial was adjourned until 18 April 1984. Mother of the UK's most premature twins who were given ZERO chance of survival says they are going from Do not sell or share my personal information. He doesn't like me because for more than 30 years I have called him a crook and I don't like him because for more than 30 years he has been one. Flannery is then alleged to have gone "mad" and emptied his gun into Wilson's head and back. [29], On 25 August 2016, Rogerson and McNamara faced a sentencing hearing. The new romance sets the stage for a new chapter in the story of "The Crown.". Roger Rogerson rates Underbelly. The NSW crown prosecutor, Christopher Maxwell sought for the judge to jail Rogerson and McNamara for life, stating there was no distinction between a contract killing and killing for the purpose of financial gain[30], One detective witness told the Daily Telegraph "it was like tracking the stars of Amateur Hour", regarding the killing of Jamie Gao. Sallie-Anne Huckstepp had floated close to the flames of police corruption and organised crime for more than a decade. "I can understand if he [Drury] was bitter to the day he died. Gao got into a white car around 1.40pm with the unidentified men, from whom he is believed to have collected $3million of methamphetamine. Here's a whole bunch of new cheflings for you to get accustomed to as the new season prepares to rise. It has to be remembered it's a dramatisation and as a drama goes, it was good. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. And he was right. Rogerson, 76, is awaiting appeal on his life sentence for murdering student Jamie Gao (pictured) in a drug deal gone wrong on May 20, 2014 View gallery Richard Roxburgh (second form left). Australia's most corrupt cop Roger Rogerson is making a last ditch attempt not to die in jail as he has applied to the High Court of Australia to appeal his life sentence. - Advertisement - Smith claims that Flannery became paranoid and "was running around shooting at anyone he thought had anything to do with [Barry McCann] or Tom Domican". He is also known for his association with other New South Wales (NSW) detectives who are reputed to have been corrupt, including Ray "Gunner" Kelly and Fred Krahe, and with a number of organised crime figures, including Abe Saffron,[7] Arthur "Neddy" Smith and Christopher Dale Flannery. No one was seriously injured, though Flannery was shot through the hand as he pushed his wife's head down and he suffered some other minor abrasions. On 6 June 1984, Drury was shot twice through his kitchen window as he fed his three-year-old daughter. When her lover Warren Lanfranchi was gunned down in an inner-city lane in 1981, Sallie-Anne Huckstepp took the bold and ultimately fatal decision to break ranks and blow the whistle on police corruption in an explosive tell-all interview on 60 Minutes. Then they would go out with their good-looking girlfriends and be scum. It is something I will regret for the rest of my life.". [2]:168170, By the time of his disappearance and presumed death, police stated that they believed Flannery to have been responsible for up to a dozen murders.[10]. In a 2009 interview, he stated that "he didn't like to go out to sea on small boats", which is widely believed (and is depicted in this episode) as the way Alexander was murdered: by being tide to something and thrown out to sea. On 17 February 2005, Rogerson and his wife, Anne Melocco, were convicted of lying to the 1999 Police Integrity Commission. But make no mistake; Rogerson was brought down because he thought his Sydney influence would stretch down the Hume Highway into the heart of Melbourne and into a major drug investigation. Underbelly is an Australian television true crime-drama series which first aired on the Nine Network between 13 February 2008 and 1 September 2013, before being revived on 3 April 2022. Maybe it was the Melbourne instinct coming out of him. In that way it's pretty close to the real way crooks are. But as entertainment it was pretty good with more sex than violence. "I knew Brian Hansen he said he had a drug buyer [Drury] down from Sydney. Register, Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout, Join the conversation, you are commenting as. [39] The journalist has refused to discuss the matter. Rogerson was charged with the shooting and Williams testified that Rogerson and Christopher Dale Flannery had agreed to murder Drury for A$50,000 each. He was acquitted of multiple murder charges and worked as a bodyguard for Sydney crime figure George Freeman. But I stepped over the line with the Drury thing. A 2014 series titled Fat Tony & Co is a sequel to the first series but is not branded under the . ROGER Rogerson is a former NSW detective who was at the heart of Sydney's gangland drug wars in the eighties. This is a book review site, with no relationship whatsoever with any of the authors mentioned here. The New South Wales State Coroner concluded that Flannery was most likely murdered on or around that date, with former detective Roger Rogerson possibly holding the key to solving the case. It cleaned the streets up a bit and saved the taxpayer money, instead of sending them to jail. He became a scaffolder, injuring his back when he fell off a roof, and then a comedian, with a travelling stage show The Good, The Bad and The Ugly with ex-AFL stars Warwick Capper and Mark 'Jacko' Jackson. Lawyers for both Rogerson and McNamara indicated they would appeal against the sentence. We had more control over the crooks up here, and I reckon most of the crooks would agree. "The deal was done in the restaurant," he said. And in 1986 she did. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. [3] Flannery was extradited to Perth but acquitted at trial. finale, AIRDATE | New Stan original series TEN POUND POMS, BARRY HUMPHRIES to feature this week as a brand new season of WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? But thanks to Sallie-Anne Huckstepp, it became a turning point in the history of Sydney's shady underbelly.Thirty years after the inquest into Lanfranchi's death, Michael Duffy remembers the woman who turned a violent criminal's death into something bigger. "To cut a long story short, Brian went into the hotel, came back with Drury and introduced him. Basically I didn't realise the repercussions this would cause. And watching Underbelly last night reminded me why. Flannery is said to have missed and Wilson, bleeding profusely from a head wound, tried to escape. He was brave, smart, an elite investigator and when the mood struck him a first-class crook catcher. The Brotherhood: Directed by Grant Brown. Please Note: TV Blackbox is an independent publication and not affiliated with any TV Network or Content Providers. Despite Brian Alexander's body never being found, it is widely believed that his murder is seen as depicted. He was released from Kirkconnell Correctional Centre on 17 February 2006. Last Name Smith was a convicted heroin dealer, rapist and armed robber who claimed Rogerson gave him the "green light" to commit crimes in NSW, while Flannery specialised in contract killing. Both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Gao and also not guilty to supplying 2.78 kilograms (6.1 lb) of "ice"(methamphetamine). By Roger Rogerson But it didn't take long for him to agree to the plan. RECAP | JOSS and HENRY win express ticket to Australian LEGO MASTERS: GRAND MASTERS FINALE, Family Stallone, The Ex-wife, new FIVE BEDROOMS season and more coming this MAY 2023 on PARAMOUNT+, Xavier Ellis and Michael Barlow to host new West Australian focused footy show MAD MONDAY, https://tvblackbox.com.au/author-kevin-perry/, By continuing, you accept the privacy policy, Popular chef and MasterChef Australia co-host JOCK ZONFRILLIO has died, aged 46, ABC farewells Head of Drama, Entertainment and Indigenous SALLY RILEY, Sunday Ratings | Most eyes on IM A CELEBRITYGET ME OUT OF HERE! The NSW undercover detective, fighting for his life in hospital, made what was thought would be a dying deposition outlining Rogerson's bribery attempt. Lanfranchi was a known associate of Neddy Smith and Abo Henry. And she knew the corrupt relationships that existed between senior police officers and major crime figures. [2][3] But as entertainment it was pretty good with more sex than violence. It took me back a little, it's been 24 years since I left the police force. In 1981, he shot dead heroin dealer Warren Lanfranchi in inner-city Sydney's Dangar Place. CCTV footage shows Gao meetingtwo young South East Asian men, believed to be members of aHong Kong-based organised crime group, on Arab Street, Padstow. Trimbole learns he has cancer. Roger Rogerson is escorted from court during his trial for the murder of Jamie Gao. Authorities were once so concerned about it that although bushranger films dominated the early local film industry, they were banned for more than 30 years for fear they would encourage criminality. The police confirmed Rogerson was the 'mole' during an early 1990s secret investigation called 'Operation Graveyard'. The men were due for trial in the Supreme Court on 20 July 2015. Roger Caleb Rogerson (born 3 January 1941) is a former detective sergeant of the New South Wales Police Force (NSW Police Force) and convicted murderer. However, he was jailed on an outstanding Victorian warrant for rape. Richardson and Hansen were shot dead and in an attempt to silence Williams, gunmen staked out his house but mistakenly killed his brother-in-law Lindsay Simpson. Many of the crooked police officers would receive their comeuppance after the Royal Commission. Crooks take life. He also became an entertainer, telling stories of his police activities in a spoken-word stage show called The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, with former Australian footballers Warwick Capper and Mark "Jacko" Jackson. Smith then stated, "But I had no part in it. "Of course Ned did skite that he took him out to sea and did kill a few crooked cops and I'm not sure whether he named me or not but I had a pretty good alibi,'' Rogerson said in a live blog for the Daily Telegraph in 2009. He was rushed to hospital. Roger Rogerson - the truth behind the rise and fall of a crooked cop. By Roger Rogerson February 14, 2008 The Daily Telegraph Featured Series All Saints Back to the Rafters Blue Heelers Bluey The Bureau of Magical Things Class of '07 Much like Roger Rogerson. Rogerson enjoyed a media career at News Corp in the late 2000s, reviewing episodes of the Underbelly TV series for The Daily Telegraph and acting as a commentator on crime. Followed categories will be added to My News. He claimed he was just curious to see what kind of damage such a gun could do. Kate takes Charlotte to watch Cinderella at the Royal Opera House ahead of her 8th Fury at vegan school dinners: Farmers vow to resist council moves to go plant-based by scrapping meat and 'Grandpa King is adorable!' Well, he didn't want to get into the car. Please try again later. Flannery's life was marked by violence, as he was involved in gang wars, murder attempts, and was ultimately presumed dead after disappearing in 1985. Flannery contacted Freeman who told him to catch a taxi. The heat was on. The officers had allegedly offered to take Flannery to meet with Freeman. what happened to ben stone on law and order, when do rubirosa reservations open,