They also were jailed for stealing 2.78 kilograms of methamphetamine with a street value of up to $19 million from the 20-year-old student. 'He did mention that he probably would have been dead long before if he hadn't been in jail but that's about it,' Ms Melocco said. 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. 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. Rogerson is in the Kevin Waller Unit for aged and frail prisoners at Long Bay. Lawyer's murder hints at secrets of Australia mafia, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Roger Rogerson being escorted to a prison van at the Supreme Court in Sydney in 2016. 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.. Both are appealing their convictions and life sentences for the. There was a whole coterie of men who liked Roger because Roger could do things for them, McNab says. 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. As the Seven Network prepares to air the shows sequel Blue Murder: Killer Cop this weekend, news.com.au has prepared a guide to what you need to know from the original. Smith was by then a pariah in the underworld and despised by the detectives he said had allowed him to make millions of dollars from dealing heroin and staging armed robberies. His sentencing in August will likely be seen as ending an era of deeply rooted police corruption. Married to his then wife Debra, with whom he had four children, the physically imposing Smith is both a wiley gangster and a big-hearted family man. Rogerson, McNamara 'should be jailed for life' over Gao murder, Rogerson, McNamara jailed for life for murder of Jamie Gao, Canberra coach Ricky Stuart slams NRL, RLPA following further concussion controversy, 'How dare they': Possum Magic author hits out at 'ridiculous' Roald Dahl edits, 'Dastardly and heinous crime': Philippines governor killed at home by unknown gunmen, Vanuatu hit by two cyclones and twin earthquakes in two days, Emily was studying law when she had to go to court. Roger Rogerson, 80, was in Long Bay's aged and frail unit last Wednesday when a prison officer told him his longtime accomplice turned enemy Neddy Smith had died in the jail hospital aged 76. He was last seen catching a taxi in the city, and never seen alive again. He said he arranged for it to be handed over to McNamara. But the cool-headed Smith was not impressed with Flannery, who made powerful enemies among Sydney ganglands other factions and police alike. And Rogersons last application for an extension of time to do so has been refused by the Supreme Court. 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. Early Origins of the Rogerson family. Rogerson who is now80, and Glen McNamara, now 62, were jailed for life for the murder of drug dealer Jamie Gao. Based on the years before Smith was jailed for life for murder it depicts the armed robber and heroin dealer as a charismatic player on the Sydney scene. Drury refused and believed Rogerson was behind the attempt on his life. Im not the only visitor outside his circle of family and friends. Disgraced former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng said he lived through "absolute hell" during a six-month stint in a Malaysian prison riddled with vermin and disease, according to . He even bragged of a close encounter with singer Dame Shirley Bassey, after allegedly nabbing a man who had just stolen her handbag. Flannery may have shot up to a dozen people before he was called to a meeting with George Freeman On May 9, 1985. On June 9, 1981, according to Smith, he was ordered by Rogerson to drive Lanfranchi a meeting at Dangar Place, a back lane in the inner city Sydney suburb of Chippendale. Made in 1995, by the time all the court cases, ICAC and royal commission hearings about the cops and crims had been cleared for the ABC to broadcast in 2001, countless people had watched it. "It was the '80s. 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. CCTV showed both men walking into the facility with the young drug dealer. 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. Flannery, known as "Mr Rent-a-Kill", later disappeared. You start meeting so many people whove had their lives trampled on by this guy, both coppers and civilians, McNab says. "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. His wife Anne Melocco told Daily Mail. It was the type of relationship that had often existed before - Smith . People I know whove taken him on as a mate, love his company, cant even begin to pin down why hed done this [murder Gao], McNab says. Violent and sinister characters populate the script: Neddy Smith, played by Tony Martin, is the charismatic big man of Sydneys gangland. Crooks loved him. Apparently he has been regularly enjoying using far more than his allotted precious telephone minutes. The honeytrap plot that left father-of-six dead: Moment two women lead victim into his flat to seduce him 'Sonic boom' is heard across central England as 'ground shakes' and houses are rocked. On 20 May 2014, former New South Wales police officers Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara murdered student Jamie Gao in cold blood. 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. 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. Drury spent 12 days in a coma, but survived. A generation of his colleagues have either keeled over or retired, and Rogers looking around for fresh playmates, McNab says. New South Wales Crown prosecutor Christopher Maxwell QC told the hearing in the NSW Supreme Court, life sentences have been applied in the past for contract killings. Jamie Gao's . Rogerson and McNamara argued the guilty verdict could not be supported by evidence and there hadbeen a miscarriage of justice. It was also alleged that Rogerson gave heroin dealer and underworld killer Arthur Stanley Neddy Smith the green light to commit crimes, in exchange for being an informant and a slice of the heroin trade. Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara lose appeal over Jamie Gao's murder. People whove known him have seen the facade drop, and it drops hard and fast, and the real Roger pops out: vile, vicious, opportunistic, McNab says. Notorious gangster Neddy Smith died aged 76 in Long Bay jail last week while serving a life sentence of murder. In 2005, when Roger Rogerson was sentenced to his second stint in jail - this time for lying under oath to the Police Integrity Commission six years earlier, unaware the true story had been captured on audiotapes - a District Court judge and a prominent psychiatrist both expressed the view that the former NSW detective might be rehabilitated and It was an unsettling enough account for its subject that Rogerson, having emerged from jail after a stint for perjury, phoned up the author to give his first personal glimpse of his dangerous side. A Sydney prostitute, Lyn Woodward, later vanished within hours of giving evidence in the case. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Geesche Jacobsen, Kate McClymont (21 February 2005). They were photographed by a federal police surveillance unit in the Covent Garden at Chinatown, 'He's never seen him in prison because Neddy was in the hospital and Roger hasn't been there. 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. [24], In 2009, he published an autobiography about his time as a detective, entitled The Dark Side, launched by broadcaster Alan Jones. Huckstepps media profile blossomed, but she couldnt give up heroin. Glen McNamara is escorted by a correctional services officer as he leaves the NSW supreme court in Sydney in February 2016. Lennie McPherson. Its a challenge that will almost certainly elude this once-celebrated detective - who will now likely die in jail. He was part of a drug trafficking ring with notorious paedophiles including Robert Dolly Dunn and bent police. "The case relied upon by Rogerson was completely lacking in credibility and did not raise any doubt about his guilt," the judgement read. 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. Inside Prince Harry's finances from when he met Meghan Markle to landing 100M with Netflix and book Spare 'Why the last-minute delay?' He grumbles about the attention but relishes telling old stories to a fresh audience. A reality TV star has allegedly been caught having a full-on affair with a co-star, leaving his longtime girlfriend and fellow castmate heartbroken. Huckstepp was later murdered, her body found in a pond in Centennial Park, New South Wales. The police confirmed Rogerson was the 'mole' during an early 1990s secret investigation called 'Operation Graveyard'. Big Sky Publishing. Rogerson, 75, has taken a job as the prison sweeper, which involves general cleaning duties like emptying bins and mopping floors, at the Kevin Waller Unit for aged and frail inmates. "It alleged both men were part of a plan to steal drugs from the deceased and kill him," he said. Allegations bounced off. In the company of 18 other police officers, Rogerson waited in the lane. CORRUPT cop and convicted killer Roger Rogerson has been working as a prison cleaner at Long Bay . Christopher Dale Flannery (Gary Sweet) is the Melbourne hitman known as Mr Rent-A-Kill whose entry into the seamy underbelly miles away from his home territory doesnt end well. Rogerson claimed Lanfranchi was armed and he shot him in self-defence. In late January, 1985 Flannerys family home was sprayed with rounds from a rifle. Discover your rider rating - how many one-star reviews do Take care of your gut and it will take care of you: Could these 'friendly' bacteria transform your gut Are YOU eating the right colours? Roger Rogerson being escorted to a prison van at the Supreme Court in Sydney in 2016. Credit: Dean Lewins/AAP Late last year, as Rogerson languished in a cell in the geriatric unit of Sydney's Long Bay jail over the Gao murder, I received a call from his wife Anne. Rogerson was eventually jailed in 1990 for conspiring to pervert the course of justice over the transfer of A$110,000 into bank accounts under false names during the Drury trial. 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. Read more of Duncan McNab's investigations here. Pictured left to right are Gary Sweet playing hitman Chris Flannery, Peter Phelps as Henry, Richard Roxburgh as detective Roger Rogerson and Tony Martin as Smith, Rogerson has always maintained Smith was no more than a valuable informant for the Armed Hold-Up Squad. Brash and boastful to friends and the media, Rogerson has been involved in a litany of crimes and misadventures which have repeatedly thrust him into the spotlight, and which led to the production of a TV mini-series about him called Blue Murder. They also were jailed for plotting to steal 2.78 kilograms of methamphetamine from the drug dealer. In 1984, Flannery moved his family up to Sydney and went to work as a bodyguard for crime figure George Freeman. Glen McNamara (right) is escorted by a correctional services officer as he leaves the NSW Supreme Court in 2016. The following day her body was found floating in Busby Pond, in Centennial Park. "According to the plan McNamara lured the deceased to the storage unit for a drug deal and Rogerson attended supposedly to purchase the drugs. To improve your experience, Corrupt cops Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara are contemplating a lifetime behind bars after losing their. They have not been seen or heard from since. 00:01. His doctor, the prominent Sydney medico Geoffrey Edelsten, gave him a medical certificate saying he was unfit to go to trial for the Sydney murder. Rogerson, who. ROGER ROGERSON. The pair could often be found drinking with other police and criminals at inner-city pubs includingAlexandria's Star and Iron Duke, the Captain Cook at Millers Point and the Lord Wolseley in Ultimo. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. [34], During legal proceedings surrounding the trial against suspects involved in the 2009 contract murder of Michael McGurk, the Supreme Court heard evidence that, while in the Cooma Correctional Centre in 2014, Rogerson, McNamara, and Fortunato "Lucky" Gattellari attempted to extort Ron Medich, a businessman and suspect for masterminding the murder of McGurk. In 1999, Rogerson was convicted of perverting the course of justice and lying to the Police Integrity Commission. The menacing conversation included an unsuccessful attempt by Rogerson to wound his biographer by recalling the suicide of a colleague whod been involved in a fatal hit and run on a child and to whose parents McNab had to break the news. Aw mate, it couldnt be Roger, hes too good a bloke, the boss said. There was a whole coterie of men who liked Roger because Roger could do things for them, says author Duncan McNab. 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. Australia's most corrupt cop Roger Rogerson launches appeal. Both pleaded not guilty in January 2015. Rogerson, played by Roxburgh, and Neddy Smith (Tony Martin) in a famous scene from the first Blue Murder in which crook and cop enjoy the spoils of crime. Theres just something horribly wrong with Rogers head. Arthur 'Neddy' Smith. Put a schooner of Reschs in his gnarled hand and we could have been two old mates chatting at the pub. There was no gloating when disgraced detective Roger Rogerson learnt of the death in prison of once feared gangster Neddy Smith, his longtime accomplice turned ferocious foe. Fond of talking about himself in the third person, Rogerson was known to say: "Roger is a tough cop in a tough town". His first experience of killing came in 1976 in the NSW town of Avoca Beach, where he and other officers rained gunfire on a house holding murderous criminal Phillip Western. Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. "I was trying to get my life back together, the last thing I needed to do was think about this.". Roger Rogerson after being jailed for life in June. ", Rogerson claims he didn't know co-accused McNamara bought a gun. Train fares will rise by 5.9% TOMORROW - but travellers can still get cheaper tickets if they buy them Will El Salvador's new mega-prison turn into a bloodbath? Rogerson was charged with the shooting and Williams testified that Rogerson and Christopher Dale Flannery had agreed to murder Drury for A$50,000 each. Drury said Rogerson had tried to bribe him to change his evidence over a heroin trial and when Drury refused, he was shot. CCTV showed both men walking into the storage unit with the drug dealer and at their trial they each blamed theother for killing him. While Rogerson was locking up - and sometimes shooting dead - crooks in the 1970s and 1980s, Smith was distributing heroin and pulling off major armed robberies. [25], On 27 May 2014, Rogerson was charged with the murder of Sydney student Jamie Gao, allegedly after a drug deal having gone wrong. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Sources say Rogerson has become the leader of the unit because of his high profile and reputation. Rogerson has been in custody since May 2014 for the murder that month of 20-year-old student and wannabe drug dealer Jamie Gao. The request was for a chat, not an interview. Harsh words forgotten. The death of Lanfranchi, whose girlfriend was heroin-addicted prostitute turned police corruption whistleblower, was ruled in the line of duty. Property News:House prices in some school catchments explode by up to $367,000 - domain.com.au, Your web browser is no longer supported. [17][18], Rogerson received a criminal conviction, which was overturned on appeal, for involvement in drug dealing, allegedly conspiring with notorious Melbourne drug dealer Dennis Allen to supply heroin. Detectives have variously described . The NSW crown prosecutor, Christopher Maxwell sought for the judge to jail Rogerson and McNamara for life, stating there was no distinction between a contract killing and killing for the purpose of financial gain[30], One detective witness told the Daily Telegraph "it was like tracking the stars of Amateur Hour", regarding the killing of Jamie Gao. And on free to air, they watched it again. But the whiff of suspicion persists that Rogerson had a hand in at least seven others. Prosecutors said the length of the prison term they are seeking for Ng is justified under US federal sentencing guidelines because of the size of the fraud. Had Jamie been a little bit more dexterous in the use of Google he might actually have not gone to that deal, he says. 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. 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. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. The exchange had the writer looking over his shoulder for a few days, which he notes is the art of the threat. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Former detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Jamie Gao. Glen McNamara, 60, also watched proceedings remotely. As one officer scoured through frames of CCTV vision from the storage unit, an older colleague passing by spotted a figure with a distinctive gait. Rogerson was jailed again in 2005 for 12 months for lying to NSW's Police Integrity Commission about bribing a local council official to obtain work. 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). Smith was born in 1944 and was a major criminal, involved particularly in armed robbery, heroin trafficking, and murder. On 6 June 1984, Flannery was allegedly the shooter who fired two rounds through the kitchen window of the home of Sydney Drug Squad detective, Michael Mick Drury. Both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Gao and also not guilty to supplying 2.78 kilograms (6.1 lb) of "ice"(methamphetamine). That was close. Rogerson, 75, and McNamara, 57, pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Gao and dumping his body in waters off Cronulla the next day. The Whiskey Au Go Go Massacre: Murder, Arson and the Crime of the Century. "It is clear that the offenders acted with complete disregard for the life of another human being.". It was the beginning of the end for Rogersons police career, and Flannerys hot heatedness and ready gun toting would be his own demise. Rogerson is pictured in 2004. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. He spent a further three years in jail. In 1986, Huckstepp, also a sex worker, was found dead in a pond in central Sydney's Centennial Park. A large scale search was underway at Freshwater Beach on Saturday night after a young man was reported missing in the water. "Mr McNamara said don't tell Rogerson because that goes to the whole issue whether or not the applicant had any knowledge of whether or not there was a gun," John Stratton SC argued. In September last year, Rogerson was jailed for life for the murder of young drug dealer Jamie Gao, 20, and supplying almost 3kg of ice. Rogerson was suspected of having organised the hit after former undercover agent Drurys surveillance resulted in charged against Melbourne heroin dealer, Alan Williams. Actors Steve Bastoni and Peter Phelps play the roles of Detective Michael Drury, who survived an assassination attempt, and Smith friend Graham Abo Henry. Smith's exploits with Rogerson featured in the 1995 television drama series Blue Murder. I dismissed it as bluster, but nonetheless looked over my shoulder for the next few days. 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. 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. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Storms threaten north-east United States after tearing through the south, leaving 10 dead. Rodgerson is a surname. The latter is what brought Rogerson together with McNamara, whose own cultivated image as a former honest cop hung out to dry likewise unravels under McNabs inspection. To improve your experience. What Rogerson didn't mention to me during my two visits was that his time to appeal was gone. .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). He could get them out of strife with the coppers, he could tell them how the coppers operated, how best to avoid things, the depth of his knowledge. Smith was a major heroin distributor in Sydney when the city's streets were awash with that drug. The latter are alleged to have been Rogersons hope for unloading the ice. Languishing in Long Bay he was paired with a police informer dubbed Mr Brown who secretly recorded him confessing to a string of 1980s murders, all of which he later denied having committed. Dont watch it before reading this. Can the dogs of Chernobyl teach us new tricks when it comes to our own survival? The men were due for trial in the Supreme Court on 20 July 2015. Blue Murder shows the attempted murder of detective Michael Drury who was shot twice through his kitchen window alleged to have been taken down by Melbourne hitman Christopher Dale Flannery at Rogersons behest. 00:55. All times AEDT (GMT +11). An armed robber, nightclub bouncer and convicted rapist, he moved into contract killing and is said to have murdered a Melbourne barrister and later a Sydney brothel owner. Loose Women star Jane Moore puts her seven-bed Battersea home on the market for 4.5M three months after Are YOU a romantic comedy buff? The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Born in 1921, McPherson was convicted of various crimes as a boy and . Disgraced former detective Roger Rogerson is appealing his life sentence, arguing he didn't know Glen McNamara had sourced a gun before the murder. Brisbane's Whiskey Au Go Go fire killed 15 people. The female roles of Neddy Smiths wife Debra (Joy Smithers) and Lanfranchis prostitute girlfriend Sallie-Anne Huckstepp (Loene Carmen) give this story depth. According to Camden, the noted historian of the 16th century, this name Roger was a valiant . In May 2014, Rogerson was remanded in prison after being charged, along with fellow former NSW detective Glen McNamara, with the murder of 20-year-old student Jamie Gao, and supply of drugs. Huckstepp's body was found floating in a pond at Centennial Park in 1986 and Smith would later be charged with murdering the sex worker, with unproven suggestions Rogerson had been involved. Unlike the remains of lawyer Brian Alexander, which has never been found, Gaos body wrapped in a blue tarpaulin bobbed to the surface off Cronulla beach in May, 2014. But as McNab now recalls, Rogerson was protected in large part by his aura within the polices own ranks. The CCTV footage of the entirety of the crime was devastating - it's probably the 'most recorded' murder in Australian history. [11] Rogerson attended Bankstown Central School and later Homebush Boys High School. He was known for his hothead and tendency to go off and empty his gun into the victims.