I Can Catch Killers: Craig Semple tells why a night of bikie violence was a turning point for him
The night Finks bikies gatecrashed a cops’ Christmas party was a turning point for officer Craig Semple, who eventually left the force and was diagnosed with PTSD. He talks to Gary Jubelin on the I Catch Killers podcast.
I Catch Killers
Don't miss out on the headlines from I Catch Killers. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It was the night the Finks fought their way into a NSW Police Christmas party and started bashing detectives that sent Craig Semple over the edge.
“All these guys came out like a tornado,” Semple told the I Catch Killers podcast.
“You think of the movies or the wild west — that’s exactly what it looked like”.
“There were fights up and down the street. I’d never seen anything like it.”
Armed with beer glasses and metal knuckle dusters, the Finks violently crashed the 2003 festivities at a pub on NSW’s north coast.
Among the detectives were lawyers, wives and partners — all celebrating another tough year fighting crime. But they were unaware the local bikie population had erupted.
Semple got caught on the wrong end of one bulked-up bikie who king-hit him, knocking him to the ground.
“He had a glass in his hand and he pegged it straight at my face, but I got my arm up just in time.
“The glass smashed on my arm, it didn’t do a great deal of damage but enough to get a couple of stitches.”
Like his colleagues, Semple fought back.
But the lasting injury was caused by the shock of the terrifying invasion — and the feeling that, for the first time, it was the police who were the victims.
Eventually, uniformed police arrived to restore order, charging a handful of bikies.
For Semple, the night marked a turning point in his career and in his sense of identity.
He spent nights lying awake fantasising about taking revenge on the bikies.
Looking back, he said, it was a step on the path that would lead to him leaving the force after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The condition is common among police officers, who often see things many never do.
“I was spiralling out of control with PTSD and depression, I had a real battle with suicide for a few years, and my marriage broke down,” said Semple.
“I saw the impact it had not only on myself, but my kids. I had to find a way to get my life back and take control.”
One of the worst parts, said Semple, was feeling let down by senior officers following the Finks’ attack.
“But the biggest letdown was the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). A week out from the trial, the DPP realised they didn’t have the job allocated to a lawyer, so they outsourced it.”
“We were like lambs to the slaughter.”
LISTEN TO THE I CATCH KILLERS PODCAST WITH CRAIG SEMPLE
Written off as a drunken brawl, few Finks faced punishment, including the man who tried to glass Semple.
Frustrated and looking for revenge was what spurred Semple to take on other bikie cases.
He medically retired in 2013 after leading a complex investigation into one gang, involving dozens of officers as the arrests were carried out.
Taking inspiration from his own experience, he now works with people dealing with mental health issues, including police officers.
“Sometimes things don’t work out, and you’ve just got to grab life and roll on to the next thing,” he said.
Got a news tip? Email weekendtele@news.com.au
‘Every time we had sex’: Jubelin’s ex tells all
Even when sharing a bed, the job never stopped for Gary Jubelin, according to his former partner Pam Young, who has spoken for the first time about the impact of work on their relationship.
How Wild Bill went from fraud to a contract killer
A self-confessed killer called Wild Bill has spoken with the I Catch Killers podcast about what led him to crime and how it spiralled into murder for money.