Brophy Shooting

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 155, 16 June 1936, Page 8

Brophy Shooting

DIFFERENT STORIES Police Heads Give Evidence Before Commission MEETING AN INFORMER By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright MELBOURNE, June" 15. On resumption of the inquiry to day into the shooting of Detective. Superintendent J. O’C. Brophy and the authenticity of the statements made by the police in connection therewith, Detective-Inspector A. T. McKerral, chief of the Criminal Investigation Department, gave evidence regarding the conflicting stories of the wounding and the measures adopted to clear the matter up, as “the newspapers on the Monday following the shooting published information in which there were discrepancies and departures from fact.’’ The shooting, he said, was originally believed to have been accidental, but later Detective Carey told witness that he had seen Mr Brophy at the hospital and ascertained that it was not accidental. . Sir Thomas Blarney, Chief Commissioner, then instructed witness to correct the accident story and give the newspapers the true facts. Mr Stretton, who is assisting the Royal Commissioner, asked witness: “If an informer rang you in order to make an appointment to tell you about a prospective bank hold-up, would you meet him right on the steps of that bank?”

Mr McKerral: Probably not. Mr Stretton: Would you, as Mr Brophy purports to have done, meet an informer right in the centre of an area where motor bandits are operating! Mr McKerral: The circumstances are different. You have usually to keep an appointment at a spot named by the informer, otherwise he will not come. Mr McKerral added that he saw nothing wrong in what Mr Brophy did. It was quite good detective work. A doctor attending Mr Brophy believed the whole thing accidental despite the fact that the wounds were widely distributed. Detective-Sergeant H. Carey detailed the efforts he had made to find out the facts of the Brophy shooting. He said that Mr. Brophy was doubtful whether he could identify his assailants, but he hoped to pick up an informer who might help. Mr. Carey added that as a result of his investigations he now planned taking '“certain action in a certain direction but it is not desirable to divulge what is going on.” Mr. Stretton: Do you agree with Mr. Brophy that the name of the informer in this case is sacred? Mr. Carey : I do. Detective O’Keefe is at this moment obtaining information that might be of value. The inquiry is being held before Judge Mclndoe, who has Mr. Stretton to assist him. The inquiry was adjourned.