The Snitch: The four-year fight to uncover ‘Witness A’ to clear Roger Rogerson
In 2016, convicted killer Roger Rogerson believed he had uncovered a witness whose potential bombshell evidence could clear him of the murder of Jamie Gao. The Snitch has the story of the four-year fight to find ‘Witness A’.
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Lawyer Peter Katsoolis was sitting opposite his most notorious client in Long Bay Jail on October 5, 2016, when he got an unexpected request.
“Can you have a talk to this guy, he’s got some important information,” Roger Rogerson said during his lawyer’s jail visit shortly after he was sentenced to life for murdering drug dealer Jamie Gao in 2014.
The context to the request was that “this guy” had potential bombshell evidence that could either clear Rogerson or, at worst, result in him getting a retrial on appeal.
The information was loose.
Rogerson’s co-offender Glen McNamara — who was also jailed for life — had got the man to do something and said, “Don’t tell Rogerson”.
They didn’t know anything else.
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Was this made up? A stitch-up? A police sting?
After all of the twists and turns of lawyers being investigated by police or kicked off the Rogerson murder trial, anything was possible.
What followed was a four-year game of cat and mouse to uncover if the information was going to be of any use. It was eventually revealed that the person in question claimed to have provided a gun to McNamara in the period leading up to the murder.
The end effect could have been that, had the jury been aware of that claim, it could have supported Rogerson’s claim that he had no knowledge that Gao was going to be robbed and murdered, and that it was all McNamara’s doing.
The journey to uncovering the man who became known as “Witness A” was outlined in a series of affidavits written by Katsoolis and tendered to Rogerson’s appeal in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal this week.
During the trial, Katsoolis had been aware of indirect references to Witness A, but the NSW Police brief of evidence did not include a statement from or about him.
At that point, there was no reason to investigate further.
On October 13, 2016, Witness A — who was a convicted criminal — attended Katsoolis’ office.
He told the lawyer “how he asked Mr McNamara to dispose of a gun for the wife of a vet and that he gave Mr McNamara the gun”, one of the affidavits said.
Witness A told Katsoolis he was not prepared to make a statement to the police.
Months passed, and despite several meetings, Witness A was still holding out.
On September 25, 2018, Katsoolis hired private investigator Ken Gamble.
Gamble negotiated with the police to grant Witness A immunity if he agreed to be interviewed.
A deal was struck and Witness A told police on March 12, 2020, that he gave the gun to McNamara on behalf of a female friend whose veterinarian boyfriend used it to put down animals.
Witness A told police that McNamara made a statement that is now critical to the appeal: “Don’t tell Rogerson.”
A panel of three judges has now reserved its decision on which way the appeal will go.
DOUBLE APPEAL
Contract killer Conrad Craig double-crossed prosecutors and now they are making moves to make sure he gets longer in jail.
Craig agreed to become a rollover witness and give evidence against those who orchestrated the murder of teen Brayden Dillon in 2017. In exchange, Craig would get a 10 per cent discount on his sentence for murder, but still cop a maximum 40-year jail term.
When Craig hit the witness box, he dramatically changed his evidence.
Now prosecutors are appealing to have his sentence increased.
But the Court of Criminal Appeal is set to be the scene of a double appeal, with Craig also claiming he was hard done by.
Craig is expected to challenge the severity of his sentence in a bid to get a shorter term.
Got a Snitch? Contact ava.benny-morrison@news.com.au or brenden.hills@news.com.au