POLICE INQUIRY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 167, 16 June 1936, Page 7

POLICE INQUIRY.

EVIDENCE AT MELBOURNE. MELBOURNE, June 15. At the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Police Superintenuent Brophy and the accuracy ot police statements concerning the occurrence, Detective-Inspector A. T. McKerrall, chief ot the Criminal Investigation Department, gave evidence regarding tne conflicting stories of the wounding of Bropliy and the measures adopted to clear the matter up as “newspapers on the Monday following the shooting published information in which there were discrepancies and departures from fact.” Tlie shooting was originally believed to have been accidental, but later Detective Carey told witness that he had seen Bropliy at the hospital and ascertained tliat 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 L. Stretton, who is assisting tne 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 vou meet him right on the steps of that bank ? McKerrall: Probably no. Mr Stretton: Would you, as Brophy purports to have done, have met the informer right in the centre of the area where the motor bandits were operating? McKerrall: The circumstances are different. You have usually to keep an appointment at the spot named by the informer, otherwise he will not come. , ... McKerrall added that he saw nothing wrong in wliat Brophy did. It was quite good detective work. The doctor attending Brophy believed the whole thing was accidental, despite the fact that the wounds were widely distributed. , , •, Detective-Sergeant H. Carey detailed the efforts he made to find out the facts of the shooting. He said that Brophv was doubtful whether lie could identify his assailants, but lie hoped to pick up ail informer who might help. Carev added that as a result of liis investigations lie now planned taking “certain action in a certain direction, hut 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 case is sacred ? . Carey: I do. Detective O Keefe is at this' moment obtaining information that might he of value.