Roger Rogerson’s aborted trial ‘a waste of money’

The jury in the trial was sensationally discharged on day two of the trial on Tuesday after opening arguments included allegations of a drug deal that went bad.

Craig Greenhill's Walkley Award finalist image for News Photography, "Roger Rogerson" - Roger Rogerson inside a police truck being taken into Bankstown Court to face charges relating to the murder of Jamie Gao. Picture Craig Greenhill

THE murder trial of former police officers Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara will be reconvened before a new jury on August 18.

The jury in the trial was sensationally discharged on day two of the trial on Tuesday after opening arguments included allegations of a drug deal that went bad.

The Daily Telegraph is legally suppressed from giving the reason for the dismissal of the jury but members of the legal community are privately fuming at what they see as a waste of time and money.

NSW Supreme Court Justice Geoff Bellew discharged the jury after McNamara’s counsel Charles Waterstreet had begun his opening submissions, including telling them Rogerson had shot drug dealer Jamie Gao in cold blood and threatened to shoot McNamara.

Roger Rogerson is arrested at his Padstow home last year.

Jamie Gao had told his cousin shortly before his death that “street level dealing is below him”.

Glen McNamara is led out of a prison van at the King St Courts. Picture: John Grainger

Justice Bellew told the jury they were being discharged because “a legal issue had arisen” and that “sometimes these things happen. It’s very unfortunate when they do.”

Mr Waterstreet refused to comment on the dismissal of the jury.

The 15 members of the jury were each paid $106.30 a day for the two days in court while the bill for the barristers, judge and court staff is estimated to be more than $50,000.

Philip Selth, executive ­director of the NSW Bar ­Association, said: “There is a process available if a court wishes to make a complaint.”

However, that course of ­action is seldom taken.

Before being discharged, the jury heard Gao was killed in a rented storage unit and his body was then removed in a silver surfboard bag.