McNab uncovered one startling exception. Smith would claim that before Jones disappeared - his body was not found until 1995 - the sometime used car salesman had been arranging to pay Rogerson $60,000 to make gold bullion theft charges go away. They did so because, although they 'knew' Stuart and Finch were involved, they had insufficient evidence to convict them. Brisbane's Whiskey Au Go Go fire killed 15 people. He was also a man who possibly, if you were locked up, could walk up to arresting police and crack a deal for you, either through payment of money or say to the copper, by the way, Ive got a brief [compromising information] on you. "It is clear that the offenders acted with complete disregard for the life of another human being. Now a frail old man, Rogerson's sentencing brings down the curtain on a story that, for better or worse, has written itself into Australia's modern mythology. While Smith was virtually untouchable as he ran amok across Sydney many of his criminal associates on the 1980s died violently. A bloody and corrupt chapter in Australian criminal history appears to have drawn to a close with the country's most notorious police officer set to spend the rest of his life in jail for murder. Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara lose appeal over Jamie Gao's murder. But Justice Bell said the Crown had established a circumstantial case against the men. Gao was not the first drug dealer whose life Rogerson had ended with two bullets to the chest. Similarities to the true life scenes played out in Sydney and involving the real Roger Rogerson and a body in the ocean in 2014 must have had Blue Murders producers minds reeling. It was later claimed that Rogerson shot Lanfranchi for robbing a heroin dealer under the detectives police protection. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, US sues Exxon over nooses found at Louisiana plant. The disgraced ex-policeman and fellow former detective Glen McNamara were found guilty in a Sydney court of murdering 20-year-old Jamie Gao in a storage facility in the city's south-west in May, 2014, during a botched drug deal. His wife Anne Melocco told Daily Mail. It is understood many of Rogersons fellow prisoners at the Kevin Waller wing suffer age-related memory loss, allowing him to persuade them into letting him use their allocated phone time. He will get that chance over coming days. According to his girlfriend, Sallie-Anne Huckstep, who pursued the matter through the media, Lanfranchi was unarmed and carrying A$10,000 (5,200, $7,350) - money which was never found. "I don't know why he said that but I wasn't going to tell Roger anyway because he would have kicked my a--- for touching a gun.". It was a career-defining performance for actor Richard Roxburgh. Rogerson who is now80, and Glen McNamara, now 62, were jailed for life for the murder of drug dealer Jamie Gao. Roger Caleb Rogerson (born 3 January 1941) is a former detective sergeant of the New South Wales Police Force, and a convicted murderer. Ex-cops lose drug dealer murder appeal | The West Australian 2023 BBC. You start meeting so many people whove had their lives trampled on by this guy, both coppers and civilians, McNab says. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. And fabled underworld tales are recreated, such as the scene of Sydney lawyer Brian Alexander on a boat trussed up and chained to a stove, being pitched overboard outside the Sydney Heads. Things went fatally wrong for the naive Gao after Rogerson, waiting in the wings on the deal, conceived with McNamara a more brutal but profitable alternative. Rogerson is pictured in 2004. I cant think of a copper with such a high profile who has been caught out the way he has and likewise a copper whos maintained this level of public focus for almost 40 years, as a copper, as a crook, or as an affable old man offering grandfatherly advice, he says. He was the master of the police verbal, an unsigned confession from a suspect, and operated in an era later classified as corrupt. Given the lead role of Rogerson, brave cop and bad cop rolled into one, Roxburgh played the Roger on the move, taking care of Sydneys most dangerous and violent criminals. Rogerson, 75, and McNamara, 57, were found guilty of murdering Mr Gao, 20, during a drug deal at a Padstow storage facility on May 20, 2014 and dumping his body in waters off Cronulla the next day. He said he arranged for it to be handed over to McNamara. The latter are alleged to. In 1992 he gave evidence at an Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry into the relationship between police and criminals, implicating Rogerson and others in organised crime. Hes in his mid-60s but Roger misses being on centre stage in the criminal life so hes reconstructing his drug-dealing mates.. This was tainted by Purdey's claims that Rogerson assaulted him, prevented him from calling his solicitor and typed up to five different records of the interview. Both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Gao and also not guilty to supplying 2.78 kilograms (6.1 lb) of "ice"(methamphetamine). [8][9], A new trial started on 1 February 2016. The request was for a chat, not an interview. Rogerson emerged fresh from the killing at an old mates lunch club at a Sydney pub having invited some unfamiliar guests: a well-known boxer with two bikies in tow. Putin's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov provokes gales of laughter as he tells audience the West started Find out what Uber drivers really think of you! With Smith jailed for life Rogerson took to the speaking circuit for a while, telling wild stories of his days on the force, and wrote a memoir. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Digging up the past: The gruesome bid to cover up the murder of - 7NEWS The prospect of an appeal still drives him, despite the court having denied him the ability to do so. Roger Rogerson reacts to learning Neddy Smith died in the same jail His 'threat' came shortly after the release of my first book on him. In 1981, in a back lane called Dangar Place in Sydneys Chippendale, in front of a large group of police officers, Rogerson shot dead heroin dealer Warren Lanfranchi. By 1978, his reputation was sufficient to gain convictions based on the strength of unsigned records of interviews with prisoners (known as "police verbals"). McNamara argued his life sentence was excessive but Justice Bell said it was justified given the murder was a cold-blooded execution. Roger Rogerson is escorted to a prison van at the Supreme Court in Sydney, Wednesday, 15 June, 2016. Stella Dings unique way of relating to her students has seen the NSW science teacher develop engaging lessons based on gaming. Australian disgraced former detective sergeant and convicted murderer, Rogerson leaving the Supreme Court, June 2016, Involvement in the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub fire investigation, "Roger Rogerson: A life of crime and comedy", "Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara found guilty of the murder of Jamie Gao", "Disgraced former detective Roger Rogerson arrested at Sydney home, charged over alleged Jamie Gao murder", Independent Commission Against Corruption, A bizarre twist has Rogerson answering questions of murder, Jury discharged in trial of Roger Rogerson, Glen McNamara for Jamie Gao murder, "Research Report on Trends in Police Corruption", "Disgraced Sydney detective Roger Rogerson is a consummate storyteller who loves a beer, writes Mark Morri", Novel end as Rogerson gets two years to finish thriller, Roger Rogerson reviews 'Underbelly' and blogs live, Roger Rogerson reviews the third episode of Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, "Roger Rogerson myth can stand no longer", "Roger Rogerson charged over Jamie Gao murder; Gao shot twice in the chest, police allege", "Former detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara face murder trial over Jamie Gao death", "Jamie Gao murder: Rogerson and McNamara should be jailed for life, prosecutor says", "Gao was person of interest for years: AFP - 9News", "Jamie Gao murder: Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara sentenced to life in prison", "Roger Rogerson likely to die in jail after court declines time extension to appeal", "Roger Rogerson's murder appeal to start", "As Medich is jailed, the man who organised the hit demands to be released", "Roger Rogerson part of $25 million plot to extort Ron Medich, court told", "Secret files detail 'fake report' on Whiskey Au Go Go blaze The Australian (1 September 2018) The Whiskey Au Go Go Massacre", "Roger Rogerson telemovie Blue Murder: Killer Cop fast-tracked to air by Channel Seven", Royal Commission into the NSW Police Service Final Report Volume 1 Corruption, Royal Commission into the NSW Police Service Final Report Volume 2 Reform, The honest cop who pays for the sins of his brother, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roger_Rogerson&oldid=1132211448, Australian police officers convicted of crimes, Australian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, People convicted of murder by New South Wales, Police officers convicted of drug trafficking, Police officers convicted of planting evidence, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by New South Wales, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Articles with dead external links from September 2016, Articles with failed verification from March 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Murder, drug trafficking, perverting the course of justice. Former detective Roger Rogerson, 80, was in Long Bay's aged and frail unit when a prison officer told him Smith had died in the jail hospital. [29], On 25 August 2016, Rogerson and McNamara faced a sentencing hearing. Although gun residue was found on Rogerson's clothes, the judge said he couldn't be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of who fired the fatal shot. Read about our approach to external linking. With his running knowledge of underworld sellers and buyers, Rogerson was a fantastic middleman but came to grief when he stopped being middleman and decided to actually take a bigger slice, McNab says. McNamara had argued that would have convinced the jury that Rogerson shot Gao and he was under duress when he helped dispose of the body. By Stephen Gibbs for Daily Mail Australia, Published: 08:31 GMT, 13 September 2021 | Updated: 09:09 GMT, 13 September 2021. In the following months, the cocaine and booze-fuelled Flannery became increasingly erratic. He grumbles about the attention but relishes telling old stories to a fresh audience. One was the murder in company of tow truck driver, Ronnie Flavell and the other of brothel owner Harvey Jones. As a public figure straddling corruption and crime in modern times, Rogerson has no peer, McNab says. McNamara told the trial Rogerson shot the student dead as he "seethed with anger" over the exchange of drugs and cash. Hours before murder arrest, Roger Rogerson was still plotting extortion An inquest heard Rogerson fatally shot Lanfranchi while trying to effect an arrest, but failed to find it was done in self-defence. But I suspect there are a lot more, McNab says. Those f------ lefties at the Herald and the ABC gave me f------ heaps but I got through it," he was alleged to have said to his one-time friend. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. On appeal Rogerson called a new witness, who told the court he picked up what he thought was a gun wrapped in a towel from a doorstep in the months before the murder. Melocco was sentenced to two years' periodic detention for the same offence. During the Gao trial, McNamara alleged Rogerson confessed to him of complicity in the killings of heroin dealers Alan Williams and Luton Chu, as well as Lanfranchis partner Sallie-Anne Huckstepp. She began a relationship with a police officer. Rogerson and his second wife Anne Melocco were convicted of lying to the Police Integrity Commission, and this is portrayed in Blue Murder: Killer Cop. Storms threaten north-east United States after tearing through the south, leaving 10 dead. What an interesting confluence: one man who has an appalling reputation but has rehabilitated himself to genial rogue for hire, and a bloke whos supposed to be pure and downtrodden, McNab says. Most of Jamie Gao's murder was caught on CCTV. That young observer has now gone on to become the definitive chronicler of a life on both sides of the law that he says is likely without parallel in the English speaking world. Drury spent 12 days in a coma, but survived. April 2000: He was Australia's most notorious cop.A real-life Dirty Harry who finally crossed the line and finished in jail. Smith is pictured, Rogerson's wife Anne Melocco told Daily Mail Australia her husband had mentioned Smith's death but there had been no celebration or revengeful one-liners. Roger Rogerson, Glen McNamara sentenced to life in jail for - news "It was the '80s. On April 23, 1985 Flannery is said to have been responsible for the gangland shooting of drug dealer Tony Spaghetti Eustace by his gold Mercedes. He knew that knowing everybody would be good for his own business and this extraordinary, outwardly affable, bright, capable man showed no fear.. On 20 May 2014, former New South Wales police officers Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara murdered student Jamie Gao in cold blood. Too good a bloke? How Roger Rogerson used 'mesmerising' charm to become Roger Rogerson - Wikipedia The unlikely pairing culminated in Gao, through contacts with a Triad gang in Hong Kong, arranging the import of 3kg of ice from mainland China. [11] Rogerson attended Bankstown Central School and later Homebush Boys High School. Blue Murder covers the height of their relationship, which ended with Smith being charged for the murders of (among others) Huckstepp and Harvey Jones and with Rogerson leaving the force. Convicted killer Roger Rogerson working as a prison cleaner n is appealing his life sentence, arguing he didn't know Glen McNamara had sourced a gun before the murder. The surname Rogerson was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland from ancient times, some say as early as the 11th century. Blue Murder will appear in two parts, beginning at 8.30pm on Sunday on Channel 7. A large scale search was underway at Freshwater Beach on Saturday night after a young man was reported missing in the water. And on free to air, they watched it again. Lennie McPherson. His only hope for freedom, now, would be an uphill battle to try to find new and compelling evidence that will change the court's mind and give him one last chance to appeal. Production isnt even underway yet and theres already friction behind the scenes on the controversial Sydney-based reality series. Australian cops 'will die in jail' for cold-blooded drug deal murder of Smith became a star witness for the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Wood Royal Commission, revealing Rogerson and others alleged corruption. It was the beginning of the end for Rogersons police career, and Flannerys hot heatedness and ready gun toting would be his own demise. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up. Australia's killer with a badge: Roger Rogerson - BBC News The latter-day Rogerson was a valued source of advice to criminals on how to find weaknesses in prosecutions against them, building on an already staggering range of underworld contacts. Following the shooting, Huckstepp became an anti-police corruption whistleblower. Former detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Jamie Gao. It is one thats shatteringly at odds with Rogersons public rebirth as a genial rogue through his regular media commentary and improbable stints on the stand up comedy circuit with Mark Chopper Read under the banner of the Wild Colonial Psychos. A few months later, Rogerson and colleagues shot Sydney bank robber "Butchy" Burns in his getaway car. Rogerson claimed Lanfranchi was armed and he shot him in self-defence. She went on television and gave extensive interviews about allegedly crooked police, including Rogerson who she claimed murdered Lanfranchi and stole the $10,000 bribe he was carrying to be let off the police shooting. [33] However, Rogerson then lodged an appeal in 2020. Smith insisted the pair became partners in crime. Justice Bell said although both accused had denied the existenceof a joint criminal enterprise to kill Mr Gao, the Crown had shown the men cooperated to dispose of the body. The pair met in November 1976 when Rogerson arrested Smith as he was reporting for bail at Rockdale police station and charged him attempting to snatch the Fielders Bakery payroll at Granville. News Limited reported Thursday that police four years ago investigated claims Woodward was killed and buried in sand hills behind a beach south of Sydney. Rogerson was referring to the fact that there was a manhunt for him and that his mate Glen McNamara had been arrested on his way back from Cooma jail where he had been discussing the extortion plan. Rogerson gets jail keyboard at Long Bay jail. Rogerson and McNamara appealed against their convictions and McNamara also appealed against his sentence. Smith's long relationship with the since disgraced detective sergeant Roger Rogerson caused both men ongoing difficulties. The sentencing of the 75-year-old detective recalls an era of deeply rooted police corruption in Australia, Rogerson rose through the ranks during his career to win 12 commendation awards, Sallie-Anne Huckstep spoke out against Rogerson, who shot dad her drug dealer boyfriend Warren Lanfranchi, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. I dismissed it as bluster, but nonetheless looked over my shoulder for the next few days. After his latest conviction, he is expected to spend the rest of his life in jail. While it was impossible to know who fired the fatal shot, Rogerson claimed the kill, according to Australia's News Limited newspapers. Both pleaded not guilty in January 2015. Ive never seen a man more terrified in my life, he says. Rogerson has always maintained from that time on Smith was no more than a valuable informant for the Armed Hold-Up Squad. He was last seen catching a taxi in the city, and never seen alive again. A month into the trial, McNab realised this dark new chapter for Rogerson was no epilogue to his previous biography but a new book in the begging. The idea was quite simply the Triad in Hong Kong and their enforcers would not know who Jamie Gao was selling to, so if Jamie Gao disappeared and it was done cleanly and concisely, hed just become a disappeared person.. Rogerson and Smith's joint exploits were immortalised in the award-winning 1995 television series Blue Murder and their notorious association helped eventually bring each man down. The Court of Criminal Appeal threw out their cases in Sydney this morning, almost five years after they were jailed for life for murdering Jamie Gao. "According to the plan McNamara lured the deceased to the storage unit for a drug deal and Rogerson attended supposedly to purchase the drugs. Rogerson's record of killing has led some Australian media outlets to dub him "the serial killer who wore a badge". And so are the Sydney gang wars of the mid 1980s, when criminals turned on each other in a shooting feast over dominance in the Sydney heroin trade. But the three appeal judges agreed Witness A was a "liar". It was McNamara who met Gao through his own consultancy work for lawyers, when the young man was acting as a translator for a friend in strife. Both pleaded not guilty in January 2015. He claimed that he was trying to arrest Lanfranchi for five suspected armed robberies. Early Origins of the Rogerson family. NSW News. Neddy Smith stood trial for her murder, but was acquitted. "Oh it's a little f------ beauty isn't it Oh and by the way, don't tell Roger about this," the witness alleged McNamara said. He moved his bashing and murder business to Sydney where he made the big-time, including his failed attempt to murder police officer Mick Drury in June 1984. An . CCTV showed both men walking into the facility with the young drug dealer. Australia's most corrupt cop Roger Rogerson's makes last ditch attempt His one-time mate Arthur Neddy Smith is across the road in the prison hospital suffering from advanced Parkinsons disease. Smiths loving family and his ex-wife Debra, with whom he has remained friends, have continued to visit him in prison, where the 72-year-old is set to die without being released. He is also known for his association with other New South Wales (NSW) detectives who are reputed to have been corrupt, including Ray "Gunner" Kelly and Fred Krahe, and with a number of organised crime figures, including Abe Saffron,[7] Arthur "Neddy" Smith and Christopher Dale Flannery. New light is shed on Rogersons link to heroin importation via Thai sex workers and trafficking in the 1980s with Melbourne criminal Dennis Dr Death Allen, who was believed to be involved in the killings of up to 15 people. There was a whole coterie of men who liked Roger because Roger could do things for them, says author Duncan McNab. McNab also reveals the hitherto unknown depth of Rogersons ties with outlaw motorcycle gangs, his close friendship with convicted rapist, kidnapper and Bandido Arthur Loveday among others, as he sought to rekindle drug connections. He was part of a drug trafficking ring with notorious paedophiles including Robert Dolly Dunn and bent police. In 1995 he was charged with the murders of Huckstepp, brothel keeper Harvey Jones (1983) and drug dealers Lewton Shu (1983), Danny Chubb (1984), Barry McCann (1987), Barry Croft (1987) and Bruce Sandery (1988). It was quite disturbing. She also claimed that Neddy Smith had lied at Lanfranchis inquest and was in cahoots with Rogerson. On 15 June 2016, Rogerson and McNamara were found guilty of Gao's murder. Blue Murder burst onto the screens with scenes of Detective Sergeant Roger Rogerson in a bulletproof vest stalking crims in a line of Sydney traffic with an assault rifle. .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}Plunkett, Geoff (2018).