Police officer Michelle Stenner on trial for perjury over nepotism case

A policewoman accused of perjury during an inquiry into nepotism on the force simply made mistakes in her evidence, her trial has been told.

Michelle Stenner leaves Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday. Picture: Liam Kidston

The barrister for a senior Queensland police officer accused of knowingly lying during a corruption investigation has urged a jury to consider that she was subjected to “a memory test the CCC set up that any of us could fail”.

Superintendent Michelle Stenner is facing three charges of perjury relating to allegations she gave false testimony during a Crime and Corruption Commission probe into claims of nepotism within the Queensland Police Service.

Stenner, 48, pleaded not guilty to the charges on the first day of her trial in the Brisbane District Court on Monday.

In his opening address, Crown prosecutor Todd Fuller QC said the 2017 CCC investigation was sparked by the appointment of then-Gold Coast Chief Superintendent Terry Borland’s daughter Amy to an administrative job at the Broadbeach police station.

Mr Borland was on leave at the time and Stenner was acting in his position.

Subsequent investigations found no wrongdoing in the appointment of Ms Borland whom the court heard had previously worked for the QPS in a higher position and was qualified for the job.

Mr Fuller said the charges arose from allegations that Stenner had lied on oath during a CCC hearing investigating Ms Borland’s appointment, saying it was alleged she had given false testimony three times during the interview in August 2017.

“The Crown says that during that hearing she gave some untruthful answers or as they appear in the indictment, knowingly gave false testimony,” Mr Fuller said.

Michelle Stenner at a previous court appearance.

Michelle Stenner leaves Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday. Pictures: Liam Kidston

The charges relate to claims she lied about conversations she had with Mr Borland and another officer Phil Notaro about the attendance witnesses at the commission hearing.

She is also accused of giving false testimony about the extent of the conversations she had with another police officer Simon Chase about the proceedings.

Defence barrister Saul Holt QC told the jury the defence case was “really simple” and there was no doubt about what Stenner had said during her CCC interview, which would be played to the court.

“There’s also no doubt that Michelle Stenner makes mistakes in her evidence, and you’ll hear that also,” he said.

“The real dispute, the battleground of this trial, is whether the prosecution can prove she deliberately lied when she got things wrong.”

Mr Holt said during the CCC hearing, Stenner was questioned about tapped phone conversations she’d had more than 70 days earlier and he asked the jury members to apply their knowledge of human memory and how it works.

“Because ultimately my submission to you is this was a memory test the CCC set up that any of us could fail…” he said.

“You’ll have noticed I suspect that Michelle Stenner is not charged before you with any criminal offence relating to that appointment, and ultimately that will be my submission to you, that’s for good reason, because her involvement was transparent and routine.

“In other words, bluntly as we go through it, that the CCC investigation was in many ways misconceived.”

The trial continues before Judge David Kent QC.