On the afternoon of Wednesday, 3 March 1976, about 4.50pm, when Sen Const Laube was performing a motorcycle patrol north along Coolart Road, Somerville, and collided with a car which had pulled out into his path from Eramosa Road.
Sadly, he received fatal injuries and died at the accident scene. He was 31.
Sen Const Laube joined Victoria Police on 21 February, 1964 and worked at various police stations during his career including Bourke Street West, St Kilda and Mentone before transferring to the Mobile Traffic Section in 1972.
He was survived by his wife Eve and son Steven.
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Geoffrey Leigh BOWEN
| 05/03/2016
Geoffrey Leigh BOWEN
Western Australia Police Force
on secondment to National Crime Authority, Adelaide, S.A.
Regd. # ?
Rank: Detective Sergeant
Stations: ?, Geralton, C.I.B., Drug Squad – W.A., National Crime Authority – Adelaide – death
Service: From 30 August 1976to 2 March 1994 = 17+ years Service
Awards: National Medal – granted 28 May 1992
Born: ?
Died on: 2 March 1994
Cause: Murdered – parcel bomb
Event location: Former NCA Office, 124 Waymouth St, Adelaide, S.A.
Age: 36
Funeral date: ?
Funeral location: ?
Buried at: ?
Memorial at: ?
[alert_green]GEOFF IS mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance[/alert_green]
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Funeral location: ?
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FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
Plans for new medal to recognise slain, seriously injured WA police
Nicole Cox
EXCLUSIVE
Every slain and seriously injured WA police officer would be automatically honoured with a special commendation medal to mark their selfless community sacrifice, under a new plan to be mooted at the WA Police Union conference today.
The idea, which is modelled on an award offered by Victoria Police, has been raised by outgoing union deputy vice-president Jon Groves and has won support from the state opposition and families of officers killed in the line of duty.
Opposition Leader Mark McGowan will unveil a proposal at the police union’s annual conference on Monday for a WA medal, similar to the Victoria Police Star and the US military decoration the Purple Heart, to acknowledge officers killed or seriously injured while on duty.
Under the concept, fallen officers including Constable Damien Murphy, who was run down and killed by a drunk and drugged driver in Craigie in 2007, would be posthumously awarded the medal, along with those who sustain life-changing injuries – like Senior Constable Matt Butcher, who was left partially paralysed by a “flying headbutt” during a brawl in Joondalup in February 2008.
It would apply to all work-related injuries, including psychological illnesses, regardless of whether the conditions first manifestedon or off-duty.
“The Victorian Government has struck a medal for police officers who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty and it recognises the sacrifice, valour and contribution of those police officers,” Mr McGowan told Fairfax Media.
“It’s only awarded rarely, but it is an appropriate recognition and certainly gives families of those who have died in the line of duty some additional recognition of their mother or father, husband or wife.
“It’s also for those who are seriously injured in the line of duty – so officers who put their lives on the line and get injured as a consequence…that they are appropriately recognised for that.
“It is rare recognition, but appropriate recognition and I think that should happen here in WA.”
Mr Groves said a medal that acknowledged officers killed and maimed in the line of duty – and not only acts of bravery – was needed to highlight their community sacrifice and the risks that police officers come up against every day of their working lives.
“We need a medal that recognises the police officers in this state who have paid the ultimate price – either with their lives or their health – in serving the community,” he said.
“It’s something tangible for those who have been kicked out the door of WA Police, due to work-related illness or injury, to have in their hands to remind them of the good times and the good work they did for the community.”
WA policeman Simon Bowen was five years old when his father WA Detective Sergeant Geoff Bowen was killed by a parcel bomb at the National Crime Authority in Adelaide in 1994.
Detective First Class Constable Bowen, who has served with WA Police for seven years, welcomed the idea saying a special medal would validate the ultimate sacrifice his father made.
“I think it’s a great concept in not only is it a keepsake, but it’s something else in the present that will identify the sacrifice and the memory,” he said.
“It’s a small token that you can just marvel at and look at it and say, for my situation, the memory of Dad is never going to be forgotten not only by me but by the blokes that he used to work with and generations to come.
“It’s a small bit of recognition. It would be humbling.”
Tracey Ball, who was widowed when her husband Constable Peter Ball was run down by a car and killed while chasing a suspected car thief in Cannington in August 1998, welcomed the police medal proposal.
The couple’s daughter, Brianna, now 17, was only 18 months old when her father died in the line of duty.
“Brianna was just 18 months old so she really has no memories of her dad,” Ms Ball said.
“She’s very proud of him but she never really knew him, she never got the chance. So to have something physical and tangible that links who he was as a police officer, I think would be extremely important to her.
“My granddad served in World War I and we have his medals. Having those medals, we used to do the Anzac Day parade and we were so proud and patriotic. To have chance to have that for someone in the police force, I think would be awesome.
“I know the defence forces award medals posthumously and with Legacy the kids go on camps with the armed forces kids who talk about their dads’ medals whereas the police kids don’t have that, they don’t have anything.”
A WA Police spokesman said the force already offered several Police Commissioner’s awards for bravery and conduct including the Cross for Bravery, commendations and a group citation for conduct.
In addition, there is also the WA Police Medal for diligent and ethical service, service medals, the Commissioner’s Medal for Excellence, a Certificate of Outstanding Performance and a WA Police Cadet Medal.
The spokesman said the Western Australia Police Cross for Bravery could be awarded to officers killed or seriously injured after a specific act of bravery and members killed in the line of duty were also recognised on the WA Police Memorial Honour Roll and the National Memorial Honour Roll.
He said the “existing awards and medals are quite comprehensive” but declined to comment about the proposal for a medal for officers killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.
“I am unaware of any proposals for new medals and the department does not make a habit of commenting on speculation or possible proposals,” he said.
Comments:
les bassednean,
that is all well and good, but what do those officers who put their body on the line for their state, and then get arrested, interrogated, humiliated, insulted and shamed get?
Mrs Elliott Watt (9038)
I wonder if the medal will be awarded to officers with psychological injuries who have died from these injuries like PTSD, depression and anxiety? My husband died on duty from depression after 15+ years service….surely he, and other officers like him deserve to be recognized too?
Long overdue Perth,
This issues has been raised for quite literally decades that I have been aware of, and yet the Dep’t has chosen to ignore the injured in the hope they will leave. It is only if you suddenly become high-profile media interest then they cannot ignore you.
The embarrassing fact is as things stand, all the officers who came to Matt Butcher’s aid can be recognised, but there is literally nothing that can be given in acknowledgement to Matt himself as there was no “clever act” they can use for a special commendation. And not even Toxic Tony could spin a believable one for the actions of an unconscious man. This has been raised at the highest levels in emails that were ignored and not replied to.
If they finally come to the table on this one, great! Allow retrospectivity, even better. The men and women who put their life on the line so you can be safe deserve nothing less!
Killed just for doing their jobs: The heroic police who put their lives on the line – only to be ambushed in lonely alleys and hacked to death with machetes by angry young men
National Police Remembrance Day will honour 757 police killed on duty
Ceremonies across the nation and the south Pacific will respect the fallen
Police remembered include those shot or stabbed while investigating crimes
Constables Steve Tynan and Damian Eyre were gunned down in Melbourne’s infamous Walsh Street shootings while investigating an abandoned car
Constable David Carty was stabbed to death by men in a Sydney car park
Geoffrey Bowen was killed by a parcel bomb during an Adelaide drug case
Published: 14:42 EST, 29 September 2014 | Updated: 22:42 EST, 29 September 2014
They went off to work for the day and never came home to their wives or families.
Constables Steven John Tynan, 22, and Damien Jeffrey Eyre, 20, were ambushed and shot by one of Melbourne most notorious crime families after they were deliberately lured to abandoned car and gunned down.
The two young Victorians are among 757 police officers killed in the line of duty who will be honoured across the nation today in a series of ceremonies to mark National Police Remembrance Day.
The Australian Federal Police will host a dusk service at the National Police Memorial on Monday evening to honour all Australian police officers who have lost their lives while serving the Australian community.
Mounted police line up at the National Police Memorial to commemorate the 757 Australian police officers who have died in the line of duty while serving the community in each state and territory.
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Each state and territory police jurisdiction across Australia will pay tribute to the fallen officers, as well as those in Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Samoa and the Solomon Islands.
The National Police Memorial lists every Australian Police officer who has been killed or who has died as a result of their duties, starting with Constable Joseph Luker in 1803.
Luker was set upon while investigating burglaries on the night of August 25, 1803 in East Sydney and beaten to death, having a piece of his own sword embedded in his skull.
The 756 police officers who have followed Luker to the grave died from several different causes – car accidents while doing their job, plane crashes en route to a crime investigation and murder, by being shot, stabbed or blown up in a targeted letter bomb.
Despite constant calls from senior police or politicians to jail police killers for life, some of the most shocking murders have resulted in short sentences or acquittals.
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These are the police murders which shocked the nation:
Constable Steven John Tynan was just 22-years-old when he and fellow officer Damian Jeffery Eyre, 20, were lured to a street where they were ambushed and shot in a deliberate murder by one of Melbourne’s most notorious criminals, Victor Peirce
It was 4.50am on October 12, 1988, when Constable Damian Eyre and his fellow officer went to investigate an alleged abandoned car in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra. Both were shot in the back of the head at close range and as Eyre lay dying, his service revolver was take from its holster and he was again shot in the head.
Shot in the back of the head: Constable Steven John Tynan (above, left) was just 22-years-old when he and fellow officer Damian Jeffery Eyre, 20, (right) were lured to a street where they were ambushed and shot in the head in a deliberate murder by one of Melbourne’s most notorious criminals, Victor Peirce
The Walsh Street killings
At 4.50am on Wednesday October, 12, 1988, Constables Steve Tynan and Damien Eyre responded to a report about a suspicious abandoned vehicle on a street in the inner south Melbourne suburb of South Yarra.
The two young officers turned up at 222 Walsh Street, unaware that they had been deliberately lured there by members of the notorious Melbourne crime family, the Pettingills.
One of four sons of the infamous Kath Pettingill – the former brothel owner upon whom the crime matriarch played by Jacki Weaver in the film Animal Kingdom is based – was Victor Peirce.
Peirce, who was shot dead in 2002, planned the ambush, according to an interview with his widow, Wendy, who said he had deliberately lured police to the scene for the purpose of murdering them.
Both Tynan and Eyre were shot in the back of the head at close range; while Eyre lay dying, his service revolver was taken from its holster and he was again shot in the head.
Peirce, his brother Trevor Pettingill and two other men, , Anthony Leigh Farrell and Peter David McEvoy, went on trial for the murders, but were acquitted in the Supreme Court of Victoria.
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Kicked to death: Constable David Carty, 25, was set upon by young men a western Sydney tavern in April, 1997. He had earlier reprimanded for using obscene language. The men kicked him and struck him with bottles and machetes he lay in the tavern car park in what was later described as a ‘brutal, ferocious and savage’ attack. His killer is now out of prison.
The brutal slaying of David Carty
On duty in the western Sydney suburb of Fairfield on April 17, 1997, Constable David Carty and other police spoke to a number of people on the street while conducting foot patrols.
When they had signed off for the evening, Carty and fellow officers went to the nearby Cambridge Tavern to relax over a few drinks.
Carty, 25, who was engaged to be married, was the among the last of the officers to leave the hotel at around 2.10am.He was set upon by a number of men in the tavern car park, among them some of the individuals he had reprimanded for using obscene language while on his earlier foot patrol.
During the attack, which was later described by a judge as brutal, ferocious and savage, Carty was fatally stabbed in the heart and then kicked, punched and stomped on by a group of men as he lay on the ground.
Senior Constable Michelle Auld who went to his assistance was also seriously assaulted.
According to his post mortem, Carty had several incised wounds to his head, bruising and trauma consistent with kicking, blunt trauma consistent with having been hit with a beer bottle, part of his earlobe has been cut, and he had a ‘scalping’ wound to the back of the head, possibly caused by a a sharp-edged machete.
Edward Esho, then aged 21, was convicted and sentenced to six years and five months for the killing and has since been released from prison.
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In the early hours of Sunday, August 16, 1998, Victoria Police Officers Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller (pictured) were staking out the Silky Emperor Restaurant in Moorabbin, in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs during an investigation into a spate of armed robberies when they were gunned down at close range.
Father of six Bandali Debs (pictured) was convicted of the murders of Gary Silk and Rodney Miller, who were shot at close range when the police officers were closing in on an investigation into armed robberies in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburb in August, 1998.
Apprentice builder Jason Joseph Roberts is serving life in prison for the shooting murders of two police officers who were investigating a string of armed robberies.
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The Moorabbin police murders
In the early hours of Sunday, August 16, 1998, Victoria Police Officers Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller were staking out the Silky Emperor Restaurant in Moorabbin, in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs during an investigation into a spate of armed robberies.
At 12.20 am, the two officers were gunned down at close range and the shooters fled.
Evidence at the crime scene included pieces of glass, which police later matched to a Hyundai hatchback and were eventually able to track down the exact model – and the vehicle, which was registered to the daughter of a known criminal, Bandali Debs.
Debs and an apprentice builder, Jason Joseph Roberts, were charged with the murders and with a string of armed robberies and in 2002 were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Debs was subsequently convicted of two more murders, of sex workers, Kristy Harty, 18, and Donna Hicks, 34, during the 1990s, and is currently under investigation for the 24-year-old cold case murder of Sarah MacDiarmid, who disappeared from a railway station in 1990 and whose body has never been found.
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Killed by the mafia: Geoffrey Bowen was a senior investigator into Italian organised crime in Australia when he targeted the alleged financier of a cannabis operation. Weeks later he opened a parcel delivered to crime headquarters in Adelaide and it blew up, killing him. Officers, who will wear ribbons (above, right) for National Police Remembrance Day, have never solved his murder.
Police officers around Australian and the south Pacific region will wear ribbons (pictured) for National Police Remembrance Day, which commemorates the more than seven hundred officers who have died while on duty
Death by letter bomb
Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen was a Western Australian police officer who on March 2, 1994, was on secondment to the National Crime Authority in the NCA’s office in the Adelaide central business district.
St the time, he was investigating a man called Domenic Perre over a suspected mafia drug operation.
Detective Bowen was a senior investigator exclusively involved with Operation Cerberus, the investigation into Italian organised crime in Australia.
Two years earlier, police had uncovered a huge cannabis growing operation and charged men of Calabrian decsent who were believed to be members of the secret mafia society, ‘Ndrangheta.
Bowen had concluded that Perre was the financier and controller of the operation and the man was due to face court, when a parcel addressed to Bowen slipped through the security system at the NCA office and blew up in Bowen’s hands.
Neither Perre, nor anyone else, has been convicted for Bowen’s murder.
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Lyncon Williams and his partner arrived to investigate a shooting in north Adelaide and had just pulled up the patrol car when a 17-year-old shot and killed him.
The shooting of Lync Williams
Lyncon Williams did not even have the chance to get out of his patrol car when he arrived with his junior partner at the scene in Blair Athol, in northern Adelaide on August 29, 1985.
The police officers were responding to reports of gunfire when they pulled up on Ross Avenue and a 17-year-old shot him.
Police arrested and charged the shooter with murder. He was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment at the Governor’s pleasure.
Police Association president Peter Alexander later reflected on Williams’ death, saying ‘I didn’t know Lync Williams but ’ I’ll always remember the circumstances of that murder.
‘I remember the shock of it and the grief for his family and workmates. It was a tragedy that was reflected right across the job.’
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Constables Robert Spears (above, left) and Peter Addison (right) went to investigate a domestic violence matter at Crescent Head on the Mid North Coast of NSW and were shot by a drunken John McGowan who lay in wait dressed in camouflage gear and armed with a .223 calibre Ruger Rifle.
Senior Constable Peter Addison
Peter Addison and Robert Spears
At 12.35am on July 9, 1995 Constables Peter Addison and Robert Spears were on the night shift at at the Kempsey Police Station on the NSW Mid North Coast.
They were called to a malicious damage and domestic violence complaint at the nearby coastal town of Crescent Head, where they attended one address and then drove to a house on Main Street.
They parked the car and began to walk towards the front door; they were unaware that a drunken man called John McGowan was lying in wait in the carport dressed in camouflage gear and armed with a .223 calibre Ruger rifle.
Neither of the officers had bullet proof vests or carried sufficient weaponry and in the next few moments they were ‘outgunned’.
McGowan shot Spears dead. At 1.22am, Senior Constable Addison radioed a message for urgent assistance.
Addison managed to enter a house across the road to use a phone for help, when he was told there was not one he left the house only to be shot himself.
McGowan then shot himself.
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Attacked with a knife: David Thomas Barr responded to a domestic scene and was stabbed through the heart by his attacker and later died in hospital. He was the father of two young girls.
Father of two knifed through the heart
On July 29, 1990, South Australian police officer David Thomas Barr was responding with his partner, officer Jamie Lewcock, to a report of a man threatening a woman.
The father-of-two young girls, Barr was attacked soon after he arrived at the scene as he attempted to arrest the man who was wielding a knife and refusing repeated requests to lay down thew weapon.
The man plunged the knife deep into the Barr’s heart. Barr was rushed to hospital, where doctors tried desperately to save him.
As his wife Gwenda waited in a room, Barr succumbed to massive loss of blood and died.
Gwenda Barr, who had been married for nine years and had daughters Nicola and Sarah, then aged eight and six, later described how devastated she had been by the death.
‘I was shocked stunned and numb’ she said. ‘I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it either. It was terrifying.’
Barr’s murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment. Barr was later awarded posthumously the Australian Bravery Medal.
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Detective Inspector Bryson Charles Anderson was stabbed to death while attending a siege in Oakville, 50km north-west of Sydney’s CBD on December 6, 2012.
When residents on a property complained to police that a number of arrows had been fired from a neighbouring farm, senior police officer Bryson Charles Anderson attended the scene.
It was shortly after 4.15pm on December 6, 2012 and Detective Inspector Anderson went to the property and was speaking with a man who was at the back door of the residence.
The man produced a knife and stabbed him to the face and chest. Anderson assisted other officers in subduing the offender and a female accomplice before he collapsed from his injuries.
He was unable to be revived and died at the scene.
Anderson had been a police officer for 26 years.
At a ceremony in Queensland on Monday, Police Commissioner Ian Stewart highlighted the inherent risks faced by police officers everyday as they provide for the safety and security of Queensland and acknowledged the tireless work of all QPS members, across a diverse state.
‘Our thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of those officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, as we honour their memories on National Police Remembrance Day,’Commissioner Stewart said.
‘The QPS operates 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year; and we have at least 15,000 interactions with the public every day, with each police officer swearing an oath to protect and serve the community,’Commissioner Stewart said
‘There are times however, when no matter how dedicated, committed and courageous our officers are, they face unbeatable odds.’
Stations: Hendra Police Station before transferring to South Brisbane Traffic as a Senior Constable.
2007 Dan was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and transferred to the Oxley District Division Traffic Branch, working out of Mount Ommaney Police Station – HWP Cyclist
Service: From? ? 2002to 1 December 2010
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New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # 32276
” Possibly ” in PREP Class 272
Rank: Constable
Stations: ?, Bankstown ( late 1990’s ),
Service: From? ? 1997to14 July 2001= 4 years Service with NSW Police force
Awards: Queensland Police Service medal – posthumously
Queensland Police Service Award for Meritorious Service – posthumously
Born: 6 January1977
Died on: Wednesday 1 December 2010
Death location: Bruce Hwy, approximately 15km south of Mt Larcom, Qld
Cause: Motor cycle collision – rider -v- jacknifing semi trailer
Age: 33
Funeral date: Thursday 9 December 2010 @ 10.30a,
Funeral location: St Peter Chanel Catholic Church, Chaprowe Roadn The Gap
Buried at: Settlement Road, and on to a private interment
Memorial at: Sergeant Dan Stiller Memorial Reserve, Heathwood, 4110. Stapylton, Johnson & Paradise Rd & Logan Motorway, Qld
Lat: -27.6425
Long: 152.986389 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
Sergeant Dan Stiller died when his motorcycle was struck by a truck.
[alert_green]DAN IS mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance[/alert_green]
Details of Death:
On 30th November 2010 Sergeant Stiller departed Brisbane on escort duty with another officer, escorting an oversized load from Brisbane, destined for Rockhampton in central Queensland. Sergeant Stiller was riding a Qld Police Service motorcycle and the other officer was in a marked police sedan. That afternoon they rested at Miriam Vale over night and recommenced at 6am on 1st December 2010. In this escort, Sergeant Stiller was the lead escort, behind a pilot vehicle which was approximately 500 metres in front, and the police sedan was to the rear of Sergeant Stiller. Approximately 15 kilometres south of Mt Larcom on the Bruce Highway, in heavy rain, at 7am on 1st December 2010 three articulated vehicles were travelling south and were advised by the pilot of the load travelling north that there was an oversized load ahead, and to pull to the side of the road to make room. In doing so one of the articulated vehicles, whilst braking, lost control of the vehicle, causing it to ‘jack knife’, and travel onto the incorrect side of the road. The articulated vehicle collided head on with Sergeant Stiller, who was travelling in the centre of the northbound lane. Sergeant Stiller was killed instantly as a result of the impact. Sergeant Stiller has been posthumously awarded the Queensland Police Service Medal and the QPS Award for Meritorious Service.
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FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
A police officer has been killed while escorting an oversized truck along the Bruce Highway in central Queensland.
Sergeant Dan Stiller, 33, was killed when the motorcycle he was riding was struck by a truck on the highway about 15 kilometres south of Mount Larcom at about 7am.
The crash closed the highway in both directions near Mount Larcom for more than five hours.
Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett said it appeared the truck jack-knifed before it hit Sergeant Stiller, who was escorting a wide load and convoy along the Bruce Highway.
‘‘The tragic loss of a young promising officer of Sergeant Stiller’s calibre will be felt right throughout the organisation, particularly among those who were fortunate enough to work with him,’’ he said.
Mr Barnett said another police officer, in a police sedan, was also involved in the wide load escort but that officer was not injured.
Sergeant Stiller’s wife, also a police officer, was ‘‘naturally devastated’’ and was receiving the support of her colleagues and close friends, Mr Barnett said.
Premier Anna Bligh said Sergeant Stiller’s death was a ‘‘tragic reminder’’ that police put their lives on the line every day.
“Our thoughts, my thoughts, and think those of all Queenslanders are with his family. This is a very sad day for them,’’ she said.
“It’s also a very sad day for the police service. It’s been almost four years … since we’ve seen a Queensland police officer lose their life in the course of their duties.
Opposition leader John-Paul Langbroek also paid tribute to Sergeant Stiller.“This is a very sad day for our state’s police service and our greater Queensland community,” he said.
“I know each day that every one of Queensland’s 10,702 police officers go to work, they work in challenging and sometimes dangerous situations.’’
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
The 33-year-old sergeant, originally from New South Wales, was an officer with the Oxley District Traffic Branch. Police are investigating the death of their colleague.
The investigating will be overviewed by the Ethical Standards Command.
11 comments so far
To my mate Dan,
You were a great guy, an excellent policeman and will be truly missed.
My condolences to your lovely wife Julie and your family.
Commenter
Ben G
Location
Sydney
Date and time
December 01, 2010, 2:06PM
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My deepest condolences to his family. I am very very sorry for your loss.
Commenter
Marie
Location
Brisbane
Date and time
December 01, 2010, 2:22PM
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My deepest sympathies go out to this young man’s family and friends. My respect and condolences go to all his brothers and sisters in the force.
Commenter
Roy
Location
Brisbane
Date and time
December 01, 2010, 2:56PM
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Dan. Incredibly sad to hear this news, you were a great guy and I will always remember your smile. Condolences to Julie and Dans family.
Commenter
Steven Cooper
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
December 01, 2010, 3:18PM
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Proud to have served with Dan in NSWPF, a friendly, lovely, smiling man taken from this world too soon. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. xoxo
Commenter
Kate Y
Location
Sydney
Date and time
December 01, 2010, 4:10PM
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My Deepest sympathies to those who have lost a loved one, while serving the community.
Something must be done about the way these extra wide loads are allowed to travel at high speed along the highways. The escort system and rules are NOW Broken and Inadequate. Attitude seems to be anything goes as long as there is an escort. As a regular car driver on the Burnett and D’Aguilar highways, I have often seen very close calls several times as the escorts often do not give enough warning to oncoming vehicles for a heavy load that now often spreads across the two lanes , travelling at maximum legal speed. The loads seem to be getting wider and larger and more frequent with all the huge mining plant being shipped to and from Central Qld mines.
I was almost unable to pull up recently travelling north at Collinton, almost running into the bridge as I tried to avoid a large load, with an escort barely 100m in front of it. If I had been in a semi, I or the escort most likely would not be here. The wide load was simply going too fast downhill to be safe.
Most escorts do a fine job, but the loads are just getting too big and fast to be safely controlled, in all circumstances. Cars can pull up safely, but heavy vehicles coming in opposite direction must often have difficulty stopping and getting off the road.
Commenter
Vini Vidi
Location
Queensland
Date and time
December 01, 2010, 4:57PM
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Such a tragic loss of a great police officer and all round good bloke. Dan, I’m proud to have called you a colleague and friend. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends. You will live on in our hearts.
Commenter
Refidex
Location
Queensland
Date and time
December 01, 2010, 5:22PM
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The military and emergency services are two of few workplaces in this country where families and colleagues send their loved ones and mates out to the job with a greater fear that they will not return safely than most of us can understand. You have my profound thanks and my deepest respect.
Commenter
Les Hawken
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
December 01, 2010, 6:36PM
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a terrible loss that should have been avoided. why was a motorcycle doing this duty with the poor weather we have been experiencing lately. these wide load escorts are normally two pilot vehicles and three patrol cars. also in this weather the shoulder on most central queensland roads is far too soft to move a semi trailer off the bitumen onto grass where they get stuck as has happened on the beef road recently and had to get towed back onto the road by the prime mover pulling the wide load. not really an acceptable situation. who would have accepted responsibility if the the semi had tipped over in the mud.
Commenter
andrew
Location
brisbane
Date and time
December 01, 2010, 7:47PM
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The Police Force has lost another great Officer. Dan, you gave us plenty of laughs and you will be missed. NSW Police Force Class 272 – Delta (PREP of 1997) will always remember you. Our thoughts are with your wife, family, and friends. Rest easy now mate, your shift is done. We’ll take it from here.
Commenter
Rebecca C
Location
Wollongong NSW
Date and time
December 02, 2010, 8:53PM
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Rest in Peace my mate Sgt Dan Stiller. You will never ever be forgotten. A great Police Officer. A great Highway Patrol Officer. A true professional in every way. A loving husband that will be truly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with Julie, both families, your QPS mates and your NSWPF mates. I am shattered. Till we meet again.
This has been issued to all media on behalf of Sergeant Dan Stiller’s wife, Julie;
A born and bred Brisbane-boy, Dan Stiller grew up knowing one day he would be able to combine his love of motorbikes with his job. In 2007, after 10 years as a police officer, he did just that when he was promoted to a Sergeant at the Oxley District Traffic branch.
On Wednesday December 1, Sergeant Dan Stiller paid the ultimate sacrifice doing what he loved.
Dan Stiller was born on January 6, 1977 in Brisbane to a large family.
An exceptional swimmer, Dan still holds the swimming record at Nundah Primary School – something he continued to boast about even as an adult – and received a scholarship to Nudgee College because of his swimming talents.
Growing up, Dan knew he wanted to become a police officer, and in 1997 he was accepted by the New South Wales Police Force, where he served for four years before applying and being accepted to the Queensland Police Service.
On graduating into the QPS in 2002, Dan served at the Hendra Police Station before transferring to South Brisbane Traffic. In 2007 Dan was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and transferred to the Oxley District Division Traffic Branch, working out of Mount Ommaney Police Station.
I can still recall the first time we met, which was during orientation at the Hendra Police Station. I saw him across the room and I was immediately attracted to him.
It wasn’t long after that we were sharing our first motorbike together, and we have been inseparable since. We married on August 9 2008. Coming from a large family, Dan was ecstatic on hearing that he was going to be a dad.
No words aptly describe Dan. He was a fun person, extremely loving and caring and had a fabulous sense of humour.
His quirks and comments made me laugh. He was capable of making anyone laugh or feel better on a down day, and I learnt very early in our relationship that he was just as beautiful on the inside as he was on the outside.
Queensland Police ServiceOur apologies to those who commented on this previously. We’ve had a technical hitch, and had to repost it, which means your comments were lost.
Gary Anthony HilesAs a member of the Oxley District Traffic Branch, I am very proud to say that I knew Dan and can say that he was an outstanding Police Officer. He was professional, knowledgeable and helpful. He died doing what he loved and has left a hole in our office. You will never be forgotten. Rest in peace mate.
Miche MaraeaI have a large family myself, so I can acutely imagine their loss and how it is to be without one of your own, especially during this festive season! I wish his entire family peace and love!
John MarksI am a Police Officer too and will never forget that feeling when I knew what I was heading out to that morning. My sincerest heartfelt condolences go out to Dan’s family, friends & colleagues. RIP Sgt Dan STILLER.
Jenelle ReghenzaniSo so sad what a fine young man to loose his life at such a young age…….RIP and my sincere condolences to his family. May god look over you and protect you in this sad time! I have so much respect for the QPS they have helped me over the years in some very hard times and I truly appreciate their dedication and hard work!
Barbara Ann JohnstonMy heartfelt sympathy to Dan Stillers family and loved ones and work mates. Carry on and live with the pride and happy memories of life shared with him…. as i am sure he would want you to do. Sometimes a loved one is taken from us way too early, but the love in our hearts and the happy memories, nothing or no one can ever take away. RIP young man…. another QPS HERO
David WicksMy thoughts are with his family. Yet another life lost doing a thankless motorcycle officers job. RIP. To the others still riding – be safe.
Vicki Leethe tears in your eyes can be wiped away but may the love in your hearts always stay…sincerest condolences to all Dan’s family, friends and colleagues, a special heartfelt one to his wife and unborn child. xo
Lisa RichardsHeart breaking for all involved. reading those beautiful words you can feel the love they shared for each other. im sure their child will bring joy and love to sgt stillers wife and their family. Taken way to soon. RIP SGT DAN STILLER
Lisa RosierHeartfelt condolences to Dan’s wife and his family both personal and professional. Dan has crossed over to the other side where he watches over his loved ones and waits to guide them on their journey to the other side.
Cheryl Wkit is always heart breaking when we lose one of our finest.
Julie, you will be able to tell your little one that their daddy was the best. Condolences to you and Sgt Stiller’s family,his friends and colleagues.
Barbara StoneSgt Dan Stiller will always be remembered with pride and love. He was certainly taken too soon. My thoughts and prayers are with the Stiller family, their colleagues and friends at this very sad time.
Carrie DavidsonJulie…words cannot describe how sorry I am for your loss. My thoughts are with you and Dan’s family, friends and collegues. The Police service will not be the same without him.
Elle OzDan – The Man!!!! Remember……..Oh I really couldn’t believe it when I turned on the TV that day, I still can’t believe it. You were always the life of the class with that smile that lighted up any room. I am so proud to have gone through the NSWPOL Academy with you it is yet another tragedy where a great Police Officer was once again taken from us. I will be thinking of you this Thursday as I attend the Remembreance Day Parade here in Townsville I will be thinking of you, Glen and Pete xo
Tim RobThe Dan Stiller Reserve is a fitting monument to this man. If you don’t know where it is, Google it and visit it! If you love bird watching, 105 species have been seen there in the last year or so. No facilities and unfortunately the reserve is over-run by morons on trail bikes during the weekend, but it is one of the special places of Brisbane, wild yet accessible.
Tim RobSome complete moron(s) has/have destroyed the memorial. I dont have words – well polite ones anyway – to describe what I think about these idiots. This is a senseless act of vandalism that demonstrates just how moronic they are. If you destroyed the memorial and are reading this then please know that any reasonable person thinks that you are a complete f-wit.
Jillian OliverI had the honour to work with Dan when he first started. He was a great officer and great person. It was a highlight to be working the truck with him. I valued his friendship and think of him often. My prayers and thoughts are with his family.
Wildlife corridor to be named after fallen policeman Dan Stiller, killed by jack-knife truck on highway
Sarah Vogler and James O’Loan
The Courier-Mail
December 07, 20109:27PM
A FALLEN policeman will have a wildlife corridor in Brisbane’s southwest named after him.
Sergeant Dan Stiller, 33, died on duty last Wednesday while leading a police escort along the Bruce Hwy in central Queensland.
He was killed when a semi-trailer jack-knifed and collided with him, becoming the first officer in over three years to die on the job.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman today bestowed on Stiller the rare honour.
“Sergeant Dan Stiller coordinated combined police and council enforcement operations against illegal trail biking while working at the Oxley Traffic Branch,” Cr Newman said.
“It is therefore fitting that we name the 122 hectares we’ve protected against illegal trail biking the Sergeant Dan Stiller Memorial Reserve.
“It will be a place not just to remember Sergeant Stiller, but other members of the police force who have been killed on duty.”
The reserve lies at Larapinta, near Parkinson, and is bounded by the Logan Mwy, Johnson Rd and Paradise Rd.
Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said Stiller’s wife Julie and the entire police service appreciated the honour.
“The QPS is very appreciative of this recognition by the Brisbane City Council,” Mr Atkinson said.
“It is a fine and fitting tribute to a very professional and dedicated officer and will help in terms of his colleagues dealing with his loss.
“Having discussed this with Dan’s wife Julie, I believe she is also very grateful for this initiative.”
Cr Newman said the bushland would be transformed into a valuable environmental and wildlife corridor and is currently being fenced and marked as bushland reserve.
The land was acquired by council over the past two years, primarily to protect it against illegal trail bikers.
The land grab was part of the Bushland Acquisition Program, which protects vital wildlife corridors in some of Brisbane’s most environmentally sensitive areas from future development.
Council expressed its sympathy to Stiller’s wife Julie, his family and to his colleagues in the police force, particularly the Oxley Traffic Branch.
The funeral for Sgt Stiller will be marked by a motorcade and mounted police this Thursday.
His death sent shockwaves through the Queensland Police Service.
This Thursday’s funeral will be at St Peter Chanel Catholic Church, The Gap, at 10.30am.
“The cortege, including the QPS Pipes and Drums, the Mounted Police Unit and a procession of motorcycle police, will proceed from the church on Chaprowe Road to Settlement Road, and on to a private interment,” police said today.
The interment is for close friends and family only.
Sgt Stiller is survived by his wife Julie, also a police officer, who is pregnant with their first child.
Mr Atkinson has previously described Stiller as ” a dedicated traffic officer, committed to the safety and security of all Queenslanders”.
Dan Stiller was so determined to become a police officer that he didn’t let an initial knock-back extinguish his dreams, mourners in Brisbane have been told.
Hundreds of people, including his pregnant wife Julie, gathered today to farewell Sergeant Stiller, who died when a truck jackknifed and hit him as he escorted a wide load south of Rockhampton last week.
He was the first Queensland police officer killed on the job in more than three years.
Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson told mourners of the 33-year-old’s efforts to join the service.
‘‘His initial knock-back from the police service only hardened his resolve, and extra study saw his future guaranteed,’’ Mr Atkinson said.
‘‘In the words of his wife Julie: ‘As a boy, Dan always wanted to grow up and be a police officer. This, mixed with his ultimate love of motorcycles, made the traffic branch the place he was destined to be’.’’
Sgt Stiller met his future wife, a police detective, during a posting at Hendra police station in Brisbane’s inner north in 2002.
‘‘She remembers well the first motorcycle ride they shared soon after (meeting) and they were inseparable ever since,’’ Mr Atkinson said.
The couple married on August 9, 2008 and only recently announced they were expecting their first child.
Sgt Stiller was overjoyed about becoming a father and wasn’t shy about showing his love for his wife, Mr Atkinson said.
‘‘His love for Julie was complete and total,’’ he told mourners.
Mr Atkinson described Sgt Stiller as a dedicated, competent traffic officer whose work helped lower the road toll.
Sgt Stiller started his career with the NSW police service in 1997.
He moved back to his home state of Queensland in 2001 and joined the service as a recruit.
He was sworn in in early 2002 and two years later was transferred to the south Brisbane traffic branch where he was promoted to senior constable.
‘‘He achieved his destiny when he passed the police motorcycle course and became a full-time police motorcyclist in the traffic branch,’’ Mr Atkinson said.
‘‘His outstanding policing skills and leadership were rewarded in 2007 when he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and transferred to the Oxley District Traffic Branch.’’
REMEMBERED: A monument dedicated to Sergeant Dan Stiller, who died last December, was unveiled at a ceremony attended by his wife Julie Stiller last Wednesday. Sgt Stiller’s family and friends also planted trees as a living memorial.
AN environmental corridor in Pallara has been named in honour of fallen policeman Sergeant Dan Stiller in a moving ceremony held last week.
Sgt Stiller’s wife Julie, along with his family, friends and colleagues gathered for the official naming of the 122 hectare Sergeant Dan Stiller Memorial Reserve on Wednesday afternoon, which also included the unveiling of a memorial.
Sgt Stiller’s brother, John Stiller addressed the crowd and said his family were truly honoured by the mark of respect the memorial offered.
“If you knew Dan you’d know that whatever he put his mind to he committed to it 110 per cent,” he said.
“I am extremely proud of my brother, and this reserve will serve as a lasting tribute.
“It will also serve as a place for friends and family to visit and share quiet thoughts.”
The memorial was unveiled by Lord Mayor Campbell Newman and Parkinson Councillor Angela Owen-Taylor.
The Lord Mayor said Dan had been instrumental in working with council to deal with illegal trail biking while working at the Oxley Traffic Branch.
“Sergeant Dan Stiller co-ordinated combined police and council enforcement operations against illegal trail biking while working at the Oxley Traffic Branch,” he said.
“It is therefore fitting that the 122 hectares we’ve protected against illegal trail biking be named the Sergeant Dan Stiller Memorial Reserve.
“It will now be a place not just to remember Sergeant Stiller, but also other members of the police force who have been killed on duty.”
Cr Owen-Taylor said she had worked closely with Sgt Stiller on road safety and illegal trail biking and she felt this was a fitting tribute.
“The dedication of this bushland to Sergeant Dan Stiller is significant as it is the place where Operation Trailblazer started in July 2008,” she said.
Sgt Stiller was killed on December 1, 2010, by a jack-knifing truck while escorting a wide load on the Bruce Highway near Mount Larcom.
The Police Remembrance Day march and ceremony held at Browns Park in North Ipswich on Thursday.
IPSWICH police paid tribute to fallen detectiveDamian Leeding and Sergeant Daniel Stiller in a moving Police Remembrance Day ceremony yesterday.
A strong contingent of about 100 uniformed, plain-clothed and dog-squad officers gathered at the North Ipswich Reserve from about 9.45am, marching to the beat of the Salvation Army drummers along The Terrace, past Riverlink Shopping Centre, then up Downs St to Browns Park.
Ipswich’s Police Remembrance Day ceremony is held each year at the James Sangster Memorial, which was built in honour of the police officer who died in an attempt to rescue members of the Jackson family from floods in 1893.
There are now 139 names on the Queensland remembrance list – dating back to Laidley Constable Matthew Connolly in 1861 – all of whom died in the line of duty.
However, it was the two most recent additions to that list that drew special mention at the ceremony, led by Southern Region police chaplain Malcolm Twine.
The chaplain began with a prayer for all the men and women who have given their lives while serving the community.
Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding was shot in the face with a shotgun after responding to an armed robbery at the Gold Coast suburb of Pacific Pines, on May 29 this year.
Family members turned off his life support three days later.
Sergeant Daniel Stiller was killed in a traffic crash while assisting in an oversized-vehicle escort near Rockhampton on December 1, 2010.
The 33-year-old’s wife was pregnant with their first child at the time. Superintendent Garth Pitman said the rain which persisted through the ceremony could not drown police pride.
“We’ll march in the rain if we have to,” he said while delivering the commissioner’s address.
Representatives of Ipswich City Council, the Ipswich RSL, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and Neighbourhood Watch joined retired police and members of the community in laying wreathes next to the Sangster monument
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Policeman Dan Stiller memorial vandalised at Pallara
Kate Kyriacou
The Courier-Mail
August 08, 20121:26PM
Sgt Dan Stiller, tragically killed on duty in a traffic accident, and his wife Julie.
A MEMORIAL commemorating a police officer killed in the line of duty has been vandalised.
Oxley detectives are investigating after the memorial to Sergeant Dan Stiller, located in a reserve on Wadeville Rd, Pallara, was damaged late Tuesday.
Sergeant Stiller, 33, killed in 2010 at Mt Larcom when the wide load truck he was escorting crashed and hit his police motorcycle.
Police said the statue was damaged shortly after 5pm, when a thick glass panel covering a photograph of Sgt Stiller was smashed.
Investigators are now looking to identify three teenaged boys who were seen in the area at the time. Two of the boys were on scooters and the third on a skateboard.
They were last seen walking towards Lillypilly St, Heathwood.
In 2010, the park was renamed Sergeant Dan Stiller Memorial Reserve in tribute to the well-respected traffic officer.
A memorial dedication and bushland reserve naming of 122 hectares bordered by Paradise Road, Johnson Road, Stapylton Road and Wadeville Street occurred on 9 March 2011 in honour of fallen Police Officer, Sergeant Dan Stiller.
A number of Dan’s colleagues turned up in honour of the occasion
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman and I unveiled the memorial in Dan’s honour.
Unveiling the Bushland Reserve Sign, named after Sgt Dan Stiller
The bushland reserve dedication and naming was commemorated with a planting
A 17 year old male has been ordered to pay full restitution to restore the Sergeant Dan Stiller Memorial at Heathwood.
The Brisbane City Council memorial in honour of Sergeant Dan Stiller was unveiled in March 2011.
It was an absolutely despicable act by vandals to destroy a public memorial, let alone a memorial dedicated to a Police officer who put his life on the line for our community each day he stepped out in uniform.
I worked closely with Sgt Dan Stiller to tackle illegal trail bike riding in Parkinson Ward and the Oxley Police District, and our community owes him for the service and care he provided us.
Residents have indicated to me they have supported the public appeal to assist Police.
Further to a thorough investigation by Queensland Police, the offender was brought to justice in the Richlands Magistrates Court on Tuesday 28 August, and ordered to pay full restitution.
I conveyed to Police the full cost of the damage and now the offender is being made to face the full consequences under law for his disgraceful behaviour.
I assure residents and Dan’s family, friends and work colleagues, we are working is to ensure restoration of the memorial occurs as quickly as possible and it will be as protected as much as possible.
Brisbane City Council dedicated the 122 hectares of bushland within the reserve in recognition of Sgt Dan Stiller’s commitment to the community in reducing illegal trail bike riding which was impacting severely on residents’ peaceful enjoyment of their own homes.
I met on site with Police Superintendent Maurice Poiner and stonemason Pete Macfarlane ahead of the photo of Sgt Dan Stiller being reinstalled into the memorial.
The Sergeant Dan Stiller Memorial Reserve is bordered by Wadeville Street, Paradise Road, Johnson Road and Stapylton Road.
THE State Coroner has begun investigating a fatal crash involving a police officer escorting a wide load on the Bruce Highway at Mount Larcom.
Coroner Michael Barnes began hearing evidence in Brisbane on Wednesday into the adequacy of police investigations into the collision which killed Dan Arthur Stiller.
Sgt Stiller, who was escorting a wide load carrying a large piece of mining equipment, died when a prime mover jack-knifed about 7am on December 1, 2010, on the highway between Gladstone and Rockhampton.
Mr Barnes will examine the “adequacy and appropriateness” of regulations and guidelines surrounding wide-load transports within Queensland.
He will also investigate whether police motorcycles should be used as wide-load escorts.
John Edward Dodd, the truck driver involved in the crash, was found not guilty of careless driving by a Brisbane magistrate handed last month.
Magistrate Jacqueline Payne found Dodd had reacted as any reasonable and prudent driver would have.
THE State Coroner has recommended a raft of reforms on how wide loads are escorted on busy Queensland roads following two fatal crashes within six months involving oversized escorts.
Queensland Police Sergeant Daniel Stiller was escorting a wide load on the Bruce Hwy at Mount Larcom when a prime mover jack knifed and crashed into his motorbike.
The 33-year-old died at the scene on December 1, 2010.
About six months later on May 17, 2011, Kenneth Roland Owens was travelling on a single lane section of the Bruce Hwy at Glenorchy, near Maryborough, with his wife and two friends.
A prime mover was travelling in the opposite direction and carrying a miner’s hut, which was so wide it protruded into the southbound lane.
Mr Owens hit the corner of the hut and was killed.
Following an inquest into the deaths, State Coroner Michael Barnes handed down his findings on Friday.
He was satisfied in Mr Owen’s case the driver transporting the wide load was safe and the oversized load satisfied guidelines.
Mr Barnes said while it was likely the lights and markers on the wide load could have distracted Mr Owens, there was no evidence to show why he did not avoid the corner of the miner’s hut.
But in Mr Stiller’s death, Mr Barnes found the blame for fatal accident could be partially contributed to how the wide load escort was carried out.
He found radio communications from the lead escort to other trucks approaching the wide load was confusing and trucks were not given clear instructions.
“Those escorting the wide load gave insufficient regard to the need for other vehicles to get completely off the road when the highway was only of two lanes and the difficulty this would pose for heavy vehicles,” Mr Barnes states.
Mr Barnes also found the driver behind the wheel of the truck which crashed into Sergeant Stiller did not slow sufficiently as he approached the wide load.
The State Coroner recommended wide load grants should not be issued if other transport is available, such as shipping to Gladstone and Mackay ports.
He has also recommended a review of placing police on motorcycles for wide escorts because of the increased risk of death or injury.
Mr Barnes also recommended a public awareness campaign about dealing with wide loads and more explicit signage.
A new section has been added to Dan Stiller Memorial Reserve in Parkinson to the south of Brisbane. It is well worth a look as it has good tracks and an interesting lagoon in the north-eastern corner. We recommend a weekend walk as there is quite high road noise from Logan Motorway in places.
“Dan” is a very interesting reserve that we have visited numerous times, and currently 152 bird species have been recorded there. Interested people may like to download our (updated today) birders guide from:
My wife Marg and I will be leading a BQ walk to “Dan” on May 10th, and will be delighted to meet you.
Tim
Quote from BQ website
” This will be the fist BQ visit to Dan Stiller Reserve for 2015. Meet at 7 am at the gate near the end of Axis Place (UBD 239, E6). This section of the reserve is relatively new and until recently had no good tracks. BCC has made a loop track that includes a section with close proximity to a lagoon on a minor tributary of Oxley Creek. It is also possible, time permitting, to see a large ex-sandmining lake that apparently will become part of an expanded reserve in the future. The track is well made and an easy walk. Boots are recommended for safe access to the edge of the lagoon. There are no toilet facilities in this reserve.
We will meet for morning tea at the park on Lincoln Green Drive (UBD 238, H16) where toilets are available.”
28 July 1903, Page 7
* Taking their Lives in their Hands
Long List of Fatalities.
The execution of Digby Grand and Henry Jones in Sydney the other day for the murder of Constable Long at Auburn a few months previously gives a sad interest to the subjoined list of New South Wales policemen who have either been killed or seriously wounded by desperate criminals while endeavouring to preserve the public peace. When bushranging was rife many constables lost their lives in endeavouring to rid the country of its human pest.
Sergeant MaGinnity was shot dead by Morgan at Tumberumba on June 24, 1864;
Senior-sergeant Smyth was shot dead by the same miscreant on September , 1864, near Kyambra;
Sergeant Parry was killed by bushrangers who had stuck up the mail from Gundagai to Yass, on November 15, 1864;
Constable McHale was seriously wounded by Dunn when the bushranger was captured at Marthaguy Creek, on December 14, 1865.
Morgan was himself shot near Wangaratta (Victoria), while Dunn was executed at Sydney on March 19, 1866.
A particularly brave single-handed attack upon its party of bushrangers at Nerringundah on April 9, 1866 by a young constable named Miles O’Grady, led to the policeman being shot dead by Clark and Connell, two of the gang.
Constable Raymond on April 14, 1866 was shot dead by James Crookwell, a prisoner of Berrima Gaol, who with 10 others made a desperate attempt to escape. Crookwell was hanged at Sydney on the following July 2.
At Binnie Creek, a few miles from Cowra, Sergeant Sutherland was shot dead by two armed men on May 1, 1872.
In the Warren district, on September 20, 1878Senior-sergeant Thomas Wallings was shot by Thomas Law, alias “Midnight,” who was himself pursued and shot by Constables Hatton and Gray.
Constable Bowen was shot dead by an armed gang, which stuck up the Wantabadgery Inn on November 16, 1879.
On March 12, 1885, two prisoners named Angel and Thurston, in Coonamble gaol shot Constable John Mitchell, the gaoler, and effected their escape. The offenders stuck up a store Slashers Flat, near Gulong in which Constables McKinlay and Day were awaiting them. They shot Charles Stewart, the storekeeper dead, but were themselves both shot by the police.
On August 13, 1885, Constable William Hird stopped two men at Canterbury, near Sydney early in the morning and interrogated them as to the contents of a parcel they were carrying. One of the men struck Hird with an axe and killed him. One of the pair was sentenced to imprisonment for life and the other to 15 years.
Sergeant Beatty of Penrith was stabbed to death in February, 1890 by a native of India. He also stabbed John Zahnliter who endevoured to apprehend him and save Beatty. The Indian was shot by Constable Mosdey.
On August 6, 1898, Constable McLean of Liverpool, had two men in custody; one of them, George Peisley, fired at the policeman (shooting him) and escaped, but was recaptured after a prolonged hunt in the bush, and sentenced to a term of imprisonment. ( Pursued by Police around Oatley, Mortdale and shooting to avoid apprehension. Eventually arrested at Arncliffe ).
Among the more important of recent cases are those of the late Constable David Sutherland shot by a burglar named James Morrison, in Rockwall Street, Potts Point, early on June 3, 1889;
Constable Slater, shot in the shoulder and thigh by burglar three weeks later;
Constable Pearce, shot in the shoulder while endeavouring to arrest a man in the grounds of Mr Oxbenham’s residence at Randwick on June 7, 1897;
Constable (now Detective) E.G. Ward, shot in the head by a man whose object, was to rescue a prisoner in Oxford Street, city, on October 22, 1900;
and the brutal murder by George Shaw, the coiner, in Shepherd Street Redfern, on July 19, 1902 of Constable Denis Guilfoyle, which occasioned a great sensation, owing to the escape of Shaw and his companion.
Constable Sutherland, who was only 28 years of age, was on duty in Rockwell Street at about 2.30 on the morning of June 3, 1883 ( 1889? ), when he saw Morrison, a noted burglar, slip out of a yard and walk hurriedly away. The constable, as Morrison would not stop, caught hold of him and the two fell to the ground. As they were struggling, the criminal drew a revolver and shot Sutherland in the groin. The dying constable struck him over the eye with his baton, inflicting a serious wound ; but Morrison, after firing another shot escaped, and throwing the weapon into a garden, ran down to Victoria Street where blood-stained and excited, he attracted the attention of Sergeant Hogan (now of Burwood) and Senior-constable Robinson, who arrested him. Constable Sutherland died some hours later in Sydney Hospital and Morrison was subsequently executed at Darlinghurst Gaol.
Mr Justice Stephen was awakened between 1 and 2 a.m. on June 25, 1889, by hearing two shots fired in his garden at Paddington. The judge ran out and discovered Constable Henry A Slater in his garden in the pouring rain, fainting from weakness and shot in two places, the shoulder and the thigh. Slater had seen a man entering the place, and endeavoured to arrest him, when two other men sprang out of the darkness, one of whom struck him on the head with a tomahawk, and the other fired at him. A tomahawk was found with a revolver, of which two chambers had recently been discharged. Slater recovered. Two men were arrested, and twice tried in connection with the affair, but they were not convicted.
The man who shot Constable Pearce was never discovered ;
but the assailant of Constable Ward received a sentence of seven years hard labour for his crime. Ward recovered, the bullet having only grazed his skull. This officer (says the Sydney Evening News) was one of the party that arrested Digby Grand.
About 11 a.m. Sunday 12 October 1902 Constable Johnston was off duty at his home at Elwood. He responded to a complaint that a man had tried to abduct a neighbour’s 8 year old daughter. Johnston immediately set off in pursuit and located the man in Milton Street Elwood. The suspect George Shaw had a lengthy criminal record. Unbeknown to Johnston Shaw was also the prime suspect for the murder of Constable Guilfoyle in Redfern New South Wales some months previously. When Johnston approached him Shaw produced a revolver and fired. Fatally wounded Johnston died within minutes. Shaw committed suicide at the intersection of Chapel Street and Rosamond Street a short time later.
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About 11am on 12 October, 1902 Constable Richard Johnston was off duty at his home at Elwood (Victoria) when a neighbour informed him that a man had attempted to abduct her eight year-old daughter. The constable quickly set off on his bicycle after the suspect and located him a short distance away. When the suspect saw the approaching policeman the offender drew a revolver and shot Constable Johnston, inflicting fatal wounds. The offender then left the scene, only to commit suicide a short time later when confronted by other police.
It was later found that the man who had murdered Constable Johnson was the same offender (Shaw) who had murdered Constable Guilfoyle at Redfern (NSW) three months earlier.
Constable Guilfoyle was shot by an offender named Shaw at Redfern whilst attempting to arrest him and another man for passing counterfeit coins. Following an incident involving a storekeeper, Constable Guilfoyle had sought the assistance of an off-duty member, Constable Michael Maher, and after checking several shops the offenders had been in they located them in Shepherd Street. As the two constables approached the offenders, one produced a revolver and shot Constable Maher three times. Shaw then also produced a pistol and shot Constable Guilfoyle twice. Constable Maher later recovered, however Constable Guilfoyle’s wounds proved to be fatal. Shaw then made good his escape, making his way to Victoria.
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A MURDERED CONSTABLE.
THE JOHNSTON MEMORIAL. “PAMPERED CRIMINALS” AND PENAL REFORM.
At the St. Kilda Cemetery on Sunday afternoon the Chief Commissioner of Police (Mr O’Callaghan) performed the ceremony of unveiling a marble monument erected by members of the police force over the grave of Constable Richard Johnston, who on 12th October last was shot dead by a notorious criminal named Shaw. The mayor of St. Kilda (Cr O’Donnell) presided, and amongst those present were Mr. McCutcheon, M.L.A. ; Inspector Hillard (officer in ohargd of the district), Inspector Crampton, Sergeant Davidson, the widow, with her children and her mother, many members of the force and a large gathering of the public.
Mr O’Callaghan retold the story of Constable Johnston’s death. On Sunday morning, when off duty, he was told that a ruffian had just been tampering with a child. He mounted his bicycle, and rode after the man who, when overtaken, turned and shot him through the heart. Remaining erect on his machine he rode nearly 100 yards, then his muscles relaxed, and he dropped dead. No more tragic occurrence saddened the records of the Victorian police force. Constable Johnston had upheld the best traditions of the force and taught a lesson that every member should lay to his heart. The event gave rise to the question why the State should go on feeding and pampering human tigers like the murderer of Constable Johnston, and letting them free again to prey upon the public. Why had a penal system been tolerated for so many years, under which such brutes, instead of being kept in confinement, were allowed to march at large to the detriment of all respectable people? In 1881 he had arrested the murderer of Constable Johnston. He was then known as a man who would “shoot at sight,” and though taken by surprise, had found time to grasp a pistol. A few years later he was set at large in the community. It was high time the public raised a protest against the liberation of such blood thirsty brutes. Drastic legislation should be introduced, and introduced quickly, to amend our penal system. Through the action of a generous public and a just Government the widow and children have had their material wants provided for.
Mr McCutcheon said he quite agreed with the remarks that had been made as to the manner in which criminals were pampered by the State. It was time some change was made in the law. The Government permitted criminals to multiply, and placed them in comfortable buildings, where they were well fed and well kept, and lacked only the company of their former friends to make them happy. He considered that every member of the force in both town and country should be armed with a revolver.
Inspector Hillard said that as far as he had been able to ascertain not a single instance could be recalled in which a member of the Victorian police force had played the part of a coward.
Several hymns, including one specially written for the occasion, were sung before and after the ceremony. – “Age”
Geelong Advertiser ( Vic. ) Tuesday 24 March 1903 page 4 of 4
August 29th, 1985, Police Officer Lyncon Robert Dix Williams from Holden Hill police was murdered at Blair Athol. First Class Constable Lyncon (Lync.) Williams Aged 30 years, of Holden Hill Patrol Base, died in his patrol car after he responded with his junior partner to reports of gunfire at Ross Avenue Blair Athol. A 17-year-old shot him as he arrived on the scene. He had not even had the chance to step out of his car ahead of the fatal shot.
Police arrested and charged the shooter with murder. He was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment at the Governor’s pleasure. A non-parole period was later fixed at 13-and-a-half years.
Police Association President Peter Alexander reflected on William’s death as he laid a wreath at a Police Remembrance Day memorial service. “I didn’t know Lync Williams personally but, I’ll always remember the circumstances of that murder”, he said.
’I remember the shock of it and the grief for his family and workmates. It was a tragedy that was reflected right across the job.’
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Stewart Ian KERLIN
| 05/03/2016
Stewart Ian KERLIN
Queensland Police Force
Regd. # ?
Rank: Detective Sergeant
Stations: ?
Service: From ? to ?
Awards: National Medal – granted 5 May 2000
Born: ?
Died on: 11 November 2006
Cause: Motor vehicle accident
Event location: Pacific Hwy, Woolgoolga, NSW about 10am
Age: 42
Funeral date: ?
Funeral location: ?
Buried at: ?
[alert_green]STEWART IS mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance[/alert_green]
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Grave location: ?
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Police officer killed on duty
AAP
November 12, 200612:00AM
………….
Const Wilson was the second police officer killed on the state’s ( NSW ) roads yesterday, with a Queensland detective dying after a multi-vehicle crash south of Coffs Harbour on the NSW mid-north coast.
Detective Sergeant Stewart Kerlin, 42, was killed when two cars and a truck collided near Woolgoolga about 10am (AEDT).
Fellow officer 43-year-old Detective Senior Constable Paul Meese, who was in the same car, was injured and a 60-year-old woman passenger in the second car also was hurt.
Both were taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital, where they are in stable condition.
The two police officers were travelling in an unmarked car to a number of locations around NSW as part of a Queensland Police investigation.
[alert_green]WILLIAM IS mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance[/alert_green ]
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Funeral location:
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The Capricornian ( Rockhampton, Qld ) Saturday 28 August 1915 page 31 of 52
The funeral of Constable James William Harris, who met his death as the result of an accident on the Scrubby Creek Bridge, took place yesterday afternoon. A large body of officers and men of the Rockhampton police force, as well as others from outside stations, assembled at the police barracks, and, in charge of Senior sergeant M J. Carmody, marched in royal blue uniforms and white helmets to the late residence of the deceased in Arnold street and afterwards followed his remains to the Rockhampton cemetery, three marching on either ride of the hearse and the others immediately in the rear. Among those present at the funeral were the Police Magistrate, Mr. H. L Archdall, and the Clerk of Petty Sessions, Mr. W. G. Moran. The Rev. Father T. Grogan officiated at the graveside.
Morning Bulletin ( Rockhampton, Qld ) Friday 3 September 1915 page 10 of 12
MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY.
A magisterial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Constable William James Harris, at the Rockhampton General Hospital on the night of the 24th of August last, as the result of an accident on the Scrubby Creek Bridge the same night, was held before the Police Magistrate, Mr. H. L. Archdall, yesterday.
Senior-sergeant M. J. Carmody, conducted the examination of witnesses.
Senior-sergeant Carmody deposed that he instructed the deceased on the morning of the 24th of August last to go to Kabra to make some official inquiries and expected his return that night unless something occurred to delay him. About eight o’clock, that night he was advised by telephone from Gracemere that the deceased had met with an accident on the Scrubby Creek Bridge and that the ambulance was taking him to the Hospital.
After stating his course of action immediately before the deceased’s death and subsequently, witness added that the horse ridden by the deceased was quiet. The deceased was twenty-eight years of age and had a wife and a child fifteen months old. He was an excellent horseman and a most reliable and trustworthy constable.
Robert McKim, labourer, living at Gracemere, deposed that when on horseback within 100 yards of Scrubby Creek Bridge, about seven o’clock on the night of the 24th of August last he saw a horseman on the bridge. The horse shied and bounded about 4 ft. into the air. Both horse and rider fell on the off side ( right side ). Witness hurried to the scene as quickly as possible, and as be got on to the bridge the horse came towards him. Having tied up both horses, witness went towards the man, and recognised him as a constable, as he was in police uniform. He could get no reply from the constable as to whether he was hurt. Through the slabs he could see a fire underneath the bridge at a man’s camp, though he did not see a man there until shortly afterwards. The horse was just about over the spot where the fire was when it bounded. Rain had fallen in the afternoon, and, in consequence, the bridge was slippery. If a horse with shoes on slipped on a board, it would fall very heavily. The reflection from the light, he thought, caused the horse to shy and bound. He was satisfied that the horse was only walking on to the bridge when the accident occurred. If the horse had been cantering witness would have heard it. Witness telephoned to the Ambulance Office from the Gracemere railway station, a mile from the bridge.
In reply to the Police Magistrate, witness said that he could not say whether the horse fell on the deceased or whether the deceased struck the slabs independently of the horse.
W. G. Daniel, Superintendentof the Ambulance Brigade, gave evidence to the effect that, when summoned, he went in the ambulance motor car to the Scrubby Creek Bridge, five miles distant from Rockhampton, and on the bridge saw Constable Harris, who was quite unconscious. There was a contused wound, with effusion of blood, on the forehead over the right eye. The deceased, who was in a serious condition, was conveyed in the car to the Hospital.
Alexander MacDonald, butcher, Gracemere, testified that he had known Constable Harris as a steady and reliable and a good horseman, and adding that, after inspecting the bridge with Constable Cullen on the following morning, he had formed the opinion that the horse bounded just after it got on to the bridge, jumped to get over the reflection of the fire, and then fell owing to the bridge being slippery from the rain. The horse was marked on the off shoulder.
The inquiry was then adjourned to a date to be fixed.
Morning Bulletin ( Rockhampton, Qld ) Thursday 9 September 1915 page 6 of 12
THE DEATH OF CONSTABLE HARRIS.
The inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Constable James William Harris, as the result of an accident on the Scrubby Creek Bridge, was continued before the Police Magistrate, Mr. H. L. Archdall, yesterday.
Senior sergeant M. J. Carmody conducted the examination of the witness, Constable Robert Lindsay Cullen, who, in the course of his evidence, stated that his examination showed that the deceased’s horse was going at a walking pace to the bridge and afterwards slipped about 9 ft. on the bridge when attempting to bound, and then skidded about 15 ft. before it started to scramble to get on its feet.
It appeared to him that the horse bounded over the reflection of the fire underneath the bridge.
Judging by marks, the horse fell on the off side ( right ).
The deceased was a good horseman and a very careful man with horses, while he was most sober and reliable.
The bridge was very slippery on the night of the accident, and it was a dangerous bridge at any time. The inquiry was further adjourned.
“possible” relation in “the job”: A.R. WHITTAKER, NSWPF # 8649
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # 18588
Joined NSW Police Force via NSW Police Cadet system on 1 February 1977
Cadet # 3334
Rank: NSW Police Cadet – commenced 1 February 1977 ( aged 16 years, 9 months, 16 days )
Probationary Constable – appointed 17 April 1979 ( 19 years, 0 months, 1 day )
Detective – appointed ? ? ? ( YES )
Constable – appointed ? ? ?
Constable 1st class – appointed 16 April 1984
Senior Constable – appointed 16 April 1988
Sergeant 3rd Class – appointed 27 September 1991
Final Rank: Detective Sergeant – Death
Stations: ?, Gosford Drug Unit ( Brisbane Waters LAC ) – Death
Service: From 1 February 1977 to 28 September 1991 = 14 years, 7 months, 27 Service
Time in Retirement: 0
Age at Retirement: n/a
Awards: No find on It’s An Honour
Born: Saturday 16 April 1960
Died on: Saturday 28 September 1991 @ Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW
Cause: Cerebral Haemorrhage
Age: 31 years, 5 months, 12 days
Funeral date: ? October 1991
Funeral location: ?
Buried at: CREMATED:
Ashes Interred in the Palmdale Lawn Cemetery & Memorial Park, Palmdale Rd, Palmdale, NSW
Rose Garden, 26A, Site 58
Memorial Plaque: Point Frederick Pioneer Park, 1 Albany St, Pt Frederick, NSW
-33.449594151.341945
Memorial Plaque location:
RICHARD WHITTAKER
Touch plate for Richard Charles WHITTAKER at the National Police Wall of Remembrance
DICKIS mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance
Memorial plaque: This plaque was laid in memory of RICHARD CHARLES WHITTAKER, a Detective Sgt of Police attached to the Gosford Drug Unit, who died of a work related illness on the 28th of September, 1991, whilst in the service of the people of New South Wales & the Central Coast area. Richard was born in the Point Frederick area and spent many of his childhood days in this park. Dedicated by his family & many friends on the 16. 4. 1992.
Richard Charles WHITTAKER – Memorial Plaque – Pt Frederick, ( Central Coast ), NSW, as of April 2022. Credit: Kevin Banister.
Memorial Plaque – Pt Frederick, ( Central Coast ), NSW, as of April 2022. Credit: Kevin Banister.
Richard Charles WHITTAKER – Grave location. Palmdale Cemetery, Palmdale, NSW
Richard Charles WHITTAKER – Grave location. Palmdale Cemetery, Palmdale, NSW
Before his death Detective Sergeant Whittaker and other Police had been involved in a major drug investigation which had resulted in the arrest of eighteen offenders. Corruption allegations were made by a number of the offenders resulting in a Police Internal Security Unit investigation.
During the protracted internal investigation the Sergeant was under enormous pressure and as a result suffered a cerebral haemorrhage.
He passed away at the Royal North Shore Hospital on 28 September 1991.
He was posthumously cleared of all allegations by Judge Allen at the Sydney District Court on 30 September 1991.
The Sergeant was born in 1960 and joined the New South Wales Police Service, via the NSW Police Cadet system on 1 February 1977 and was Attested, as a Probationary Constable on 17 April 1979.
At the time of his death he was attached to the Gosford Drug Unit.
‘Our boys haven’t been forgotten’: Policemen honoured in Brisbane Water row
September 15, 2015 3:16pm
Geraldine Cardozo Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate
(L-R) Sarah Matthews, Kylie Kerr and Tracey Holt remember their police officer partners at Gosford waterfront. Brisbane Water LAC officers will be taking to the water in honour of the policemen.
When Sarah Matthews returned home after her shift at Gosford Hospital on the evening of April 13, 2002 and spotted a row of waiting police cars she thought the neighbours were having a noisy party.
“It never struck me what was coming next,” remembers the emergency nurse who was told the worst — her fiancée Senior-Constable Chris Thornton had been killed on duty hours earlier.
“It didn’t hit me. Even when I was told. I don’t think that’s something that ever leaves you.”
This week Miss Matthews, Kylie Kerr and Tracey Holt will get together to remember their partners, Sen-Constable Thornton, Sen-Constable Peter Gordon Wilson and Sergeant Richard Whittaker, who all died on duty while with the Brisbane Water Local Area Command.
(L-R) Brisbane Water Inspector Paul Nicholls, Tracey Holt, Brisbane Water Commander Daniel Sullivan, Sarah Matthews and Kylie Kerr at Gosford Waterfront ahead of the NSW Police Legacy row. Picture: Mark Scott
On Thursday officers from Brisbane Water LAC will take part in a paddle to raise money for NSW Police Legacy to support the families of fallen officers.
“You never want to be a part of Legacy but now we are part of this unique group and without Legacy we wouldn’t have each other,” Miss Matthews said.
But for two of the women, the close bond was forged by their shared loss and haunting similarities in how their partners lost their lives.
Sen-Constable Thornton, 35, died in a motor vehicle accident while on patrol in Woy Woy in 2002, while Mrs Kerr’s long-term partner Sen-Constable Wilson, 41, was killed when he was hit by a car while carrying out speed checks on the M1 at Somersby in 2006.
Both men were based at Brisbane Water LAC, both died in car accidents on a Saturday night, and both had the same patrol car number — 202.
Senior Constable Peter Gordon Wilson with fiancée Kylie Kerr.
“This special event means our boys haven’t been forgotten,” Miss Matthews said, adding that the support of Legacy has enabled her to move on. “You have to take that step forward. You can’t be angry, because that just eats away at you.”
Senior Constable Chris Thornton was killed on duty during a high-speed pursuit at Woy Woy in 2002.
“This special event means our boys haven’t been forgotten,” Miss Matthews said, adding that the support of Legacy has enabled her to move on. “You have to take that step forward. You can’t be angry, because that just eats away at you.”
“This special event means our boys haven’t been forgotten,” Miss Matthews said, adding that the support of Legacy has enabled her to move on. “You have to take that step forward. You can’t be angry, because that just eats away at you.”
Mrs Holt, whose husband Sgt Whittaker was stationed at the Gosford drug unit and was involved in drug investigations at the time of his death when he died from a brain haemorrhage in 1991, said the annual paddle is a “beautiful day”. “It is amazing the effort Daniel Sullivan and the team put in to keep the memory going of old work mates and have a good time doing it,” she said.
Sergeant Richard Whittaker who died on duty with Brisbane Water Local Area Command in 1991. Picture: Supplied
SYDNEY: The stress of unfounded corruption allegations killed a policeman who suffered a stroke at the weekend, according to the Police Association.
The association’s president, Tony Day, said yesterday that Gosford-based Detective Senior Constable Richard Whittaker, who was promoted to detective sergeant last Friday, had been implicated in a bribery conspiracy by a drug dealer.
Yesterday, the dealer, an industrial chemist, was sentenced to a minimum of 11 years jail after pleading guilty to manufacturing and supplying amphetamines with a street value of more than $4 million.
Handing down the sentence in Darlinghurst Supreme Court, Justice Allen said John Oldfield, 52, of Winston Hills in Sydney’s west, had stated he had tried to bribe a police officer through a contact known as “M” in November, 1990.
After the alleged bribe attempt had failed, Oldfield had gone to the Police Internal Security division and made a detailed statement, implicating the officer. The judge said he was satisfied the detective knew nothing about the alleged bribe.
Mr. Day said the Police Internal Security division investigation into Oldfield’s allegations had been “dubious”.
“Every crim in NSW knows that if they want their case adjourned they just have to implicate the police, and there will have to be an investigation,” he said.
“Eighty per cent of corruption and bribery charges are disproved.”
Detective Whittaker, 31, was married with two-year-old twin daughters.
Mr Day said the Oldfield affair had played a major role in causing Detective Whittaker stress, resulting in his death.
The Brisbane Water LAC has tragically lost three staff members in the execution of their duty: Sergeant Dick Whittaker and Senior Constables Gordy Wilson and Chris Thornton. The 12 September is the annual sports charity day to remember these officers.
Paddling from Ocean Beach Surf Club to Bluetongue Stadium along the Brisbane Water on the NSW Central Coast (approximately 15km).
SYDNEY: The stress of unfounded corruption allegations killed a policeman who suffered a stroke at the weekend, according to the Police Association.
The association’s president, Tony Day, said yesterday that Gosford-based Detective Senior Constable Richard Whittaker, who was promoted to detective sergeant last Friday, had been implicated in a bribery conspiracy by a drug dealer.
Yesterday, the dealer, an industrial chemist, was sentenced to a minimum of 11 years jail after pleading guilty to manufacturing and supplying amphetamines with a street value of more than $4 million.
Handing down the sentence in Darlinghurst Supreme Court, Justice Allen said John Oldfield, 52, of Winston Hills in Sydney’s west, had stated he had tried to bribe a police officer through a contact known as “M” in November, 1990.
After the alleged bribe attempt had failed, Oldfield had gone to the Police Internal Security division and made a detailed statement, implicating the officer. The judge said he was satisfied the detective knew nothing about the alleged bribe.
Mr. Day said the Police Internal Security division investigation into Oldfield’s allegations had been “dubious”.
“Every crim in NSW knows that if they want their case adjourned they just have to implicate the police, and there will have to be an investigation,” he said.
“Eighty per cent of corruption and bribery charges are disproved.”
Detective Whittaker, 31, was married with two-year-old twin daughters.
Mr Day said the Oldfield affair had played a major role in causing Detective Whittaker stress, resulting in his death.
