James Finch rejects lie detector test for confession following Whiskey Au Go Go firebombing

A LIE-detector test might have proved police forged the confession of one of Australia’s worst killers, James Finch. And while the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub fire bomber said he was willing to take one, he’s now done a spectacular backflip.

JAMES Finch - one of the men convicted of firebombing Brisbane’s Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub in 1973 - has declined an offer to take a lie-detector test.

Mr Finch remains one of Australia’s worst mass murderers after 15 people were killed in the deadly blaze at the Fortitude Valley hotspot.

Earlier this month, News Corp tracked down Mr Finch to a suburban street in Essex, southeast of London where he said he would be willing to take a lie-detector test to prove he was never in the room when police allegedly took his confession.

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Convicted Whiskey Au Go Go fire bomber James Finch in front of his home in Basildon, East of London, last month. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

Brisbane’s Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub after the fire bombing in 1973. Picture: Supplied

News Corp this week offered to organise a lie-detector test for the convicted criminal.

However Mr Finch - through his social worker - declined.

“There was no statement, I was never there, I was never in the room,” Mr Finch said earlier this month.

He went on to blame “corrupt” cops for the confession which he never signed.

Drums of petrol were used to ignite the blaze at the Fortitude Valley nightclub. Picture: Supplied

Mr Finch’s comments could be crucial to an upcoming inquest that was ordered by the State Government following longstanding rumours that other culprits could have been involved in the blaze.

Mr Finch and career criminal John Andrew Stuart were both convicted of arson and murder and served time behind bars.

James Finch’s mug shot. Picture: Supplied

John Andrew Stuart, who was jailed for murder after the firebombing, died in jail in the 1970s. Picture: Supplied

Mr Stuart died in jail in 1979 while Mr Finch served just under 15 years before being deported back to the UK.

An inquest was launched last year after Garry Dubois and Vincent O’Dempsey were convicted of the 1974 murder of Barbara McCulkin - who had been the wife of Brisbane criminal Bill McCulkin - and her two daughters.

O’Dempsey’s trial was told he’d killed Ms McCulkin because she could have implicated him in the fire.

He denied the claim.

Originally published as James Finch rejects lie detector test for confession following Whiskey Au Go Go firebombing