Lindt Siege negotiatior called ‘Reg’ reveals shocking police blunders

THE NSW Police negotiation truck was ‘unusable’ and the there was only one line into the team’s HQ, which meant some calls made by hostages were diverted.

• Desperate calls went unanswered by the police

A SENIOR police negotiator has revealed to the inquest into the Lindt cafe siege that a specialised negotiation truck, which he believes “would have made the job much better” had been “unusable” since 2011.

The negotiator, known to the inquest since Reg, has also conceded that due to the phone system at the NSW Leagues Club — where negotiators worked from the gaming manager’s office — some calls made by hostages were diverted to other places in the venue if the one phone line was being used to dial out.

Reg told the inquest into the deadly December 15, 2014 siege that the space that had inside the venue was “physically inadequate.”

Victim Tori Johnson at the window of the Lindt Cafe. The inquest was told today of a string of mistakes made by police - including that a number of hostage phone calls were not transcribed. Picture Channel 7

The inquest is examining the circumstances of the 17-hour siege, which ended in the execution of cafe manager Tori Johnson by gunman Man Monis, and the death of barrister Katrine Dawson by the fragment of a police bullet. Monis was killed by police as they stormed the cafe.

This morning’s evidence has also heard that 12 batches of hostage phone calls, from when the siege started about 9.30am until 1.16pm, were not transcribed and the recordings lost on the negotiator dictaphone.

“As to why things are missing, I can’t answer that,” Reg said.

CCTV footage show police storming the Lindt Cafe at 2:14 am after Man Monis began firing. The whole police operation is under increasing scrutiny.

When asked by counsel assisting the Coroner Jason Downing if that was because the calls had recorded over each other on the dictaphone, or maybe a record button hadn’t been pressed, Reg said “It could be any of those things you’ve mentioned sir.”

The inquest heard of difficulties inside the office that was used as the negotiator cell.

“On (previous) major jobs we had a negotiation truck was provided federally to each state and our truck wasn’t available,” Reg said.

“It hadn’t been available since 2011. It was damaged, it wasn’t usable.”

He was then asked by Mr Downing what equipment was available in the negotiation truck.

“All around the truck are whiteboards, those have been sectioned into topics, hostages, demands, POIs. Everything is set up in the truck ready to go so they can write up information as it comes to light,” Reg told the inquest.

“If we had had the truck it have made the job for us much better.”

The inquest heard the purpose built truck was “still not available” and has been sold off in an auction.

Reg said the truck had sustained weather damage and “all indications of it was it was totally unusable.”

“It’s a project given to myself to build ourselves a new truck,” Reg said, saying it was being built overseas.

He then elaborated on the phone problem, saying “it would have been an advantage to us if we didn’t have (the phone system in the club) because while ever hostages were trying to ring in ... if we were on the phone trying to ring out then that phone was being diverted.”

“There were times the hostages were ringing (negotiator) Peter and it diverted,” Reg said.

“So if someone was trying to make incoming call, it would divert to outside the cell?” Mr Downing asked.

“Yes, and that's what happened,” Reg said.

“I am not pretending I am a technical genius myself but wouldn’t one solution be to make calls on mobile and leave (the club) phone free?” Mr Downing asked.

“That ... it makes sense yes,” Reg replied.

The inquest continues before State Coroner Michael Barnes.