FIRING OF SHOTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22909, 17 June 1936, Page 9

FIRING OF SHOTS

POLICE OFFICER’S INJURIES

SUGGESTIONS AT INQUIRY

(United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

MELBOURNE, June 10, (Received June 10, at 10.30 p.m.)

The Royal Commission which is inquiring into the shooting of Superintendent J. Brophy, of the Victorian Criminal Investigation Department, in Royal Park, near Parkville, on May 22 sat again to day. Mr Justice Macindoe presided. Detective O’Keefe, resuming his evidence, said that, after seeing Mrs Orr, he realised that the shooting was not accidental. Witness made no attempt to question the car driver, Maher, or Mrs Phillips. He was convinced from what Mrs Orr told him that a crime iiad been committed.

Mr Justice Macindoe asked Mr Ha n, K.C., where his cross-examination was leading. Mr Ham, who is appearing for the Herald and the Sun. replied that it was very necessary to find out whether the police officers had some motive for falsifying the reports handed to the press.

His Honor: Your suggestion to date is that Brophy may have been shot by an infuriated husband? Mr Ham: That is what we are here for, Brophy was in circumstances which could be regarded as indiscreet. Therefore, he had something to hide. He gave a false account of the manner in which he received his injuries, while anybody of ordinary intelligence would suspect that his account was false. His colleagues shared that suspicion, and the senior detectives lent themselves to the falsification of the facts.

Frederick Millard, of West Coburgh, gave evidence that he was stopped on his way home in his car. and was asked to drive Brophy to hospital. Brophy told him he had been shot at Royal Park. Witness was under the impression that the shooting was accidental. Dr Stanley O’Loughlin, of St. Vincent’s Hospital, said that Brophy was his patient on the night of the shooting. Brophy told him he had been shot, ani witness gained the impression that it occurred while on duty. Next day Brophy asked witness to keep pressmen awav.

Dr O’Longhlin added that Sir Thomas Blarney also asked him to keep the press away from Brophy as he wanted to prepare an official statement for release to the press. 'i Dr A. Carroll, medical superintendent of St. Vincent's Hospital, said that Brophy told him within a quarter of an hour of his admission that he (Brophy) received a telephone message to Investigate a case in Royal Park. He went ibere with a friend, and two masked men fired at him.

Dougins Gillison. a reporter on the Argus, when shown a slip of paper relating to Brophy’s case, declared that it was certainly not the one placed before reporters by Detective Sloan. He and other reporters asked whether detectives were engaged on the affair, to which Sir Thomas Blarney replied. “What can we do? The men were masked, and a torch was flashed in Brophy’s face,” Sir Thomas Blarney also said that he did not know where the first press statement about Brophy had originated. The inquiry was adjourned.