Disgraced former police commissioner Terry Lewis dies aged 95

Disgraced former police commissioner Terry Lewis has died, aged 95. He was stood down in 1987 and then sacked, serving seven years for corruption, yet protested his innocence until the end.

Terence (Terry) Lewis, former Queensland Police Commissioner, has died.

• Interview: Terry Lewis, last man standing

Disgraced former police commissioner Terry Lewis has died, aged 95.

Lewis served as commissioner from 1976 to 1987, after being appointed under Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

He was stood down in 1987 and then sacked, having been awarded a knighthood during his time in the top police job.

Lewis was charged with multiple counts of perjury, corruption and forgery following months of evidence at the Fitzgerald Inquiry into Queensland police corruption.

A jury found he had accepted $700,000 in bribes to protect brothels, SP bookmakers and illegal casinos.

Terence (Terry) Lewis, former Queensland Police Commissioner, has died.

He was found guilty of 15 counts of corruption.

He was jailed for 14 years but served almost seven behind bars, making him the only police commissioner in Australian history to be imprisoned.

He spent many years protesting his innocence, including in a 2015 interview with Channel 7’s Kay McGrath.

“If I knew (corruption) was going on, I would have done something,” he told her, insisting he had nothing to apologise to the people of Queensland for.

“How do I apologise for something that I didn’t know?”

It is understood Lewis had been in palliative care before passing away today.

His son John is a senior sergeant in the Queensland Police Service.