POLICE INQUIRY

Southland Times, Issue 22917, 16 June 1936, Page 7

POLICE INQUIRY

Shooting Of Mr Brophy DETECTIVES’ EVIDENCE ATTITUDE TO INFORMERS EXPLAINED (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 9.15 p.m.) Melbourne, June 15 The Royal Commission which is inquiring into the shooting of Superintendent John O’Connell Brophy (Chief of the Victorian Criminal Investigation Branch) continued its session to-day. Judge Macindoe is the commissioner, and Mr L. Stretton is assisting him. Detective-Inspector A. T. McKerral. Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department, gave evidence about the conflicting stories of the wounding of Mr Brophy and the steps taken 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 was originally believed to have been accidental, said witness but later Detective Carey told him tha‘ he had seen Mr Brophy at the hospital and had ascertained that it was not accidental. Sir Thomas Blarney, the Chief Commissioner, then instructed witness to correct the accident story and giv u the newspapers the true facts. Mr Stretton: If an informer rang you in order to make an appointment to tell you about a prospective bank holdup, would you meet him right on the steps of that bank?—Probably no. Mr Stretton: Would you, as M. Brophy purports to have done, met the informer right in the centre of an area where motor bandits were operating?— The circumstances are different; you have usually to keep the appointment at the spot named by the informer otherwise he will not come. Witness added that he saw nothing wrong in what Mr Brophy did; it was quite good detective work. The doctor attending Mr Brophy had believed that 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 Mr Brophy was doubtful whether he could identify his assailants but he hoped to pick un an informer who might help. Witness 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 Mt Brophy that the name of the informer in this case is sacred?—l do; Detective O’Keefe is at this moment obtaining information that might be of value.