Mark Ryan exhorted patron saint of police on night of massacre

Police Minister Mark Ryan went off script the night of the Wieambilla massacre, with a move that would prove prophetic.

Police Minister Mark Ryan went off script the night of the Wieambilla massacre, invoking the patron saint of police – without even knowing the perpetrators were religious extremists.

Two young police constables, Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, were cut down last year as they entered a remote property on the Western Downs 13 days before Christmas.

A coronial inquest is now analysing the lead-up to the cold-blooded murders and whether authorities missed red flags that could have averted the deaths.

While the response of Queensland police will be closely analysed, a moment at the first press conference near 10pm breaking the news of the deaths probably won’t be.

Mr Ryan stood alongside Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll and labelled the slain officers heroes.

By this stage the three religious terrorists were surrounded by heavily armed police ready to deliver justice for their slain colleagues and neighbour Alan Dare.

The killers had posted a video online attempting to explain their extreme ideology, and it is not known if they were watching the media conference online.

At Brisbane’s Roma St police headquarters Mr Ryan stared down the barrel of the camera and – in what he insists is a pure coincidence – declared some people might take consolation in a prayer.

“I know these days not many people are religious … there is a patron saint for police, it is Saint Michael, the Archangel,” Mr Ryan said.

Police Minister Mark Ryan and Commissioner Katarina Carroll on the night of the massacre

That departure from the script was unplanned, and left some staffers in his office unsure what would happen next.

It was – intended or not – a message to the religious terrorists: they’re off to hell.

“Saint Michael the Archangel defend us in our battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil, may God rebuke him,” Mr Ryan said.

“Cast into hell Satan and all of the evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls.

“Pray for us, pray for all police.”

Mr Ryan told The Courier-Mail the prayer wasn’t recited knowing two officers were victims of a religiously motivated attack.

“That detail would not be made apparent for many days after,” he said.

“I can’t say exactly why it came to me to read a prayer, or more particularly that particular prayer, that night, except to say that I thought it might offer some solace, some comfort.

“Perhaps, as Catholics would say, the Holy Spirit moves in mysterious ways.”

Almost one year from the incident, Mr Ryan said the night of December 12 stuck with him.

“It’s tempting to think of evil in the abstract, as a notion that has little application in our daily lives,” he said.

“But Wieambilla shook our souls, reminded us that evil can be real.

“Like so many other Queenslanders, what happened at Wieambilla left me with a troubled heart.”