Anthony Sampieri investigation by Andrew Bruce ‘insufficient’

A policeman charged with failing to properly investigate phone calls by Anthony Sampieri only accessed one of the 19 events listed against the child rapist, a court heard.

A Sydney police officer charged with failing to properly investigate threatening phone calls by child rapist Anthony Sampieri accessed only one of the 19 events listed against Sampieri in the internal police computer system, a court has heard.

Sampieri raped a seven-year-old girl in the toilets of a Kogarah dance studio on November 15, 2018 — about a fortnight after a woman made a report to Leading Senior Constable Andrew Bruce that she was getting vile phone calls.

Sydney cop Andrew Bruce walks into Downing Centre Local Court. Picture: John Grainger

Senior Constable Andrew Bruce.

Sen Con Bruce visited Sampieri on November 7 when he realised he was behind the calls, telling the paroled sex offender “cut it out, and there won’t be any more issues”.

The officer was charged in April 2019 with neglecting his duty for failing to conduct a proper investigation into Sampieri’s criminal history after the woman’s complaints.

During a hearing on Tuesday, crown prosecutor Sally Stuart said Sampieri had 19 “events” listed against his name in the internal police case management system when Sen Con Bruce had carriage of the case.

She asked the officer in charge of the internal police probe into Sen Con Bruce whether checking just the one entry after receiving the woman’s complaint was sufficient.

“One is not sufficient,” Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald told the court, adding that Sen Con Bruce should also have checked what ­charges Sampieri was on parole for.

Convicted sex offender Anthony Peter Sampieri was sentenced to life in jail after raping a 7-year-old child in a Kogarah dance studio toilet. Picture: Hollie Adam

“So, you know, what the offence is and is it similar to what you are investigating,” she said.

Supt Fitzgerald said she found no evidence Sen Con Bruce had contacted Community Corrections about the phone call allegations against Sampieri when he was on parole.

But the officer’s barrister, Linda Barnes, said the complainant did not want to make a police statement, as she was not prepared to go to court, and simply wanted the calls to stop.

“(There was) no admissible evidence … no basis under (law) to arrest a person without these things,” Ms Barnes said.

The hearing continues.

“Fail to arrest is not one of the allegations,” Ms Stuart said.

Sampieri has been jailed for life for raping the little girl and also pleaded guilty to seven counts of menace, harass or offend, over the phone calls.