Legendary Sydney cop John Davidson who arrested Neddy Smith dies at 75

He took armed robber Neddy Smith’s freedom, gun, and dignity with a revealing mugshot when he arrested him. Legendary cop John Davidson — who kept the .357 magnum as his police weapon — has died aged 75.

One of Sydney’s most legendary cops, John Davidson — who famously took a .357 magnum off armed robber Neddy Smith when he arrested him and kept it as his police weapon — has died at the age of 75.

Davidson was considered one of the city’s toughest cops, who played by his own rules, often upsetting the police hierarchy, and turned up to an ICAC inquiry into the relationship between Sydney's detectives and criminals wearing a bright red suit.

“If I’m going to a circus, I’m going to dress like a clown,’’ he told reporters as he walked into the inquiry.

As a young police officer he rose through the ranks before joining the Special Breaking Squad, which chased the city’s major criminals — whether they be armed holdup specialists, safe crackers or arsonists.

“Dad was such a larger than life character and certainly did things his way,’’ said his son Mark Davidson. “He would go toe to toe with anyone,’’ he said.

One of Sydney’s most legendary cops, John Davidson, took this "mug shot" of Neddy Smith, with his pants around his ankles, right, when he arrested him. Pictures: News Corp

Mark (rear) and John Davidson outside the NSW Police Royal Commission in 1996.

By 1988, Davidson’s reputation as an uncompromising tough detective was gaining momentum and hit legend status with the arrest of Smith and his mates as they were about to rob the Botany Council Christmas payroll three days before Christmas.

“I took his freedom, his gun and then pulled his pants down and took a mugshot in his undies to humiliate him,’’ he told his son later. The shot was auctioned off for charity in later years.

“His philosophy was fear was needed to control the streets and if the crooks did not do as they were told they better get out of the city,’’ said Mark, who followed his father into the police force and was a sniper at the Lindt Siege.

A physically imposing man, Davidson was both feared and respected by most crooks around town including Mickel Hurley, who he called the Prince of Thieves and who was behind a bank robbery referred to as the Great Chinese Takeaway.

Hurley’s gang spent three days over a long weekend robbing safety deposit boxes and blew up a safe inside the National Australia Bank in 1988.

“Poor Mickel, they used too much gelignite on the safe and destroyed about a million bucks in cash,’’ he said.

Criminal Arthur "Neddy" Smith is arrested in 1988.

He pursued many of the gangsters, including Neddy Smith, who were supposedly being protected by then armed holdup detective Roger Rogerson, who he publicly called as a “poisoned evil little man’’.

Davidson eventually quit the force amid allegations that, as the boss of Strikeforce Magnum set up to investigate armed robberies in the ‘90s, some of his officers fabricated evidence against those they arrested.

“By then there really wasn’t the room to have a rogue inspector of police running around town doing things his way,” said Mark.

“Dad was larger than life and red was his favourite colour. He will be cremated in a red coffin wearing his red suit.’’

John Stuart Davidson, is survived by his sons Mark, Scott and John.

A service is to be held at Woronora crematorium on Friday January 24 at 11am.

Originally published as Legendary Sydney cop John Davidson who arrested Neddy Smith dies at 75