Vincent O’Dempsey denies any role in Whiskey Au Go Go arson

Notorious criminal Vincent O’Dempsey has sensationally denied his involvement in the Whiskey Au Go Go firebombing or the murder of a Brisbane woman and her two daughters.

Convicted triple-murderer Vincent O’Dempsey has sensationally claimed he’s an innocent man, denying he slayed the McCulkin family or had anything to do with the mass murder of 15 people in the Whiskey Au Go Go inferno.

In a dramatic final day of evidence at the long-running inquest into the 1973 nightclub arson attack, O’Dempsey refused to be sworn in to give evidence before the Brisbane Coroners Court.

Despite being warned he could be charged with contempt, O’Dempsey said he would not take an oath of affirmation, declaring “I decline to do either” and “my word’s good enough”.

The inquest was sparked by evidence heard at the 2017 trial of O’Dempsey and Gary Dubois where they were convicted of the 1974 murders of Barbara McCulkin and her two daughter Vicki and Leanne.

Vincent O'Dempsey was convicted of the 1974 murders of Barbara McCulkin and her two daughters.

The trial heard evidence the McCulkins may have been murdered to stop Barbara from revealing what she knew about the fatal nightclub attack which happened the year before she and her daughters went missing.

O’Dempsey went on to answer questions unsworn on Monday, using the opportunity to proclaim he was innocent of both the McCulkin murders, for which he is serving a life sentence, and of links to the Whiskey fire.

“I had nothing to do with the Whiskey Au Go Go,” he said.

“I don’t know any of the people that would have done it and I don’t associate with, I’ve never met Finch or had any dealings with him, never had any dealings with Stuart.”

James Finch and John Stuart were the only two people convicted of the 1973 fire, but the current inquest is investigating whether others were involved.

“No I’ve never had any involvement in any arson,” O’Dempsey said.

Asked whether he arranged for Finch or Stuart to burn down the club, he said: “I’ve never had anything to do with Finch, nor have I had anything to do with that ratbag Stuart.”

Questioned why he would refer to Stuart as a “ratbag”, O’Dempsey told the court: “I certainly knew of him – that would be a mild term to use with him.”

Dressed in a leather jacket and wearing headphones to assist him to hear the court proceedings, O’Dempsey repeatedly denied having anything to do with the deaths of Mrs McCulkin and her daughters who were aged 13 and 11 when they disappeared.

O’Dempsey agreed he and Dubois had been at the McCulkin family home on the evening of January 16, 1974 but denied taking them anywhere.

Under questioning from counsel assisting the coroner Stephen Keim, O’Dempsey said he “definitely” did not strangle Mrs McCulkin and claimed assertions he and Dubois raped the children were “ridiculous” and “absurd”.

Barbara McCulkin and her daughters disappeared in 1974.

Asked whether he was prepared to tell the court where the murders occurred, O’Dempsey replied “No murders as far as I’m concerned”.

“Have you subsequently destroyed or interfered with the remains of the victims?,” Mr Keim asked.

“That’s a silly assertion,” O’Dempsey said.

“Are you prepared to tell the court the last location known to you of the remains of the victims?,” Mr Keim asked.

“I don’t know where they are,” O’Dempsey said.

O’Dempsey told the court he was never aware of Mrs McCulkin having information about the Whiskey Au Go Go fire.

“As I said before I never had a discussion with her about crime,” he said.

“She’s a quiet sort of housewife, she’s not into that scene.”

O’Dempsey told the court he had been convicted on “false evidence” from three people, including that of Warren Peter McDonald who gave evidence at the McCulkin trial in 2017 and at the Whiskey inquest last week.

McDonald claimed O’Dempsey told him that Finch could incriminate him in the Whiskey fire and that if he came back to Australia from England to give evidence, he would have to be killed.

Damage to the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub after the 1973 arson attack.

“That’s an absolute lie,” O’Dempsey said of McDonald’s evidence.

“No that’s all figments of Warren’s imagination.

“He’s an indemnified witness seeking to get himself off the hook for his actions.”

The court previously heard that in exchange for testifying against O’Dempsey, McDonald had been given a lighter sentence for drug trafficking charges and had not been the subject of confiscation proceedings.

Coroner Terry Ryan said in light of O’Dempsey answering questions, he was not inclined to charge him with contempt for refusing to be sworn in.

The inquest has now concluded after 29 days of evidence spanning three blocks of hearings which began last year. Parties will now have six months to make submissions before Coroner Ryan begins preparing his findings.