POLICE INQUIRY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12889, 16 June 1936, Page 5

POLICE INQUIRY

WOUNDING OF SUPT. BROPHY,

PRESS FORCES OUT THE FACTS.

ROW TO DEAL WITH INFORMERS

(U.P.A. by Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received June 15, 9.15 p.m.)

MELBOURNE. June 15

Detective-Inspector A. T. McKerral. chief of the Criminal Investigation Department, gave evidence regarding the conflicting stories of the wounding d Sergeant flrnphy and the measures ai’.opted to eiear the matter up as the ‘‘newspapers on the Monday following the shooting published information in which there were discrepancies and departures from the fact.” The shooting was originally believed to have been accidental, but. later, Detective Carey tokl witness that he had seen Brophy at hospital and ascertained that it was not accidental. Sir Thomas Blarney, Chief Commissioner, then instructed witness to correct the cccident story and give the newspapers the true facts. Mr. Stretton (assisting the Royal Commissioner) asked witness: “If an informer rang you in order fJ to make •in appointment to tell you about a prospective bank hold-up, would you vioct him right on the steps of that bank ?”—MeKerrall: “Probably, no.” Mr. Stretton: “Would you, as Trophy purports to have done, meet the informer right in the centre of an area where motor bandits were operating!'”—’McKerral: “The ,circumstances are different. You have usually to keep an appointment at the spot named by the informer, otherwise he will not come.” McKerral ended that he saw nothing wrong in v.bat Bropliy did. It was quite good octectivo work. The doctor attending Brophy believed that the whole thing was accidental despite the fact that the wounds were widely distributed.

NAME OF INFORMER “SACRED”

Detective Sergeant H. Carey detailed the efforts '.he made to find out the facts of the Brophy shooting. He said Brophy wa,s doubtful whether he could identify his assailants, but he hoped to pick up an. informer who might help.

Carey added that as a result of Iks investigations he had now planned the taking “of a certain action in a certain direction, but it was not desirable to divulge what was going on” Mr Stretton: “Do you agree with Brophy that the name of the informer in this ease is sacred?”—Carey: “I do.”

Witness added that Detective O’Keefe was at that moment obtaining infrmatkm that might be of value