Carl Williams’ widow Roberta and accused killer ex-cop Denis Tanner want to use new laws to push for fresh murder inquests

CARL Williams’ widow Roberta and an ex-cop accused of murder, Denis Tanner, will use a new law to try to force the coroner to hold fresh inquests.

GANGLAND war widow Roberta Williams and accused murderer Denis Tanner will use a new law to try to force the coroner to hold inquests.

Ms Williams will use it to appeal against a coroner’s decision not to hold an inquest into the 2010 jailhouse slaying of her ex-husband Carl.

Former Victoria Police Det-Sgt Tanner yesterday vowed to use the new law to try to clear his name.

Attorney-General Robert Clark this week introduced a bill which restores the right of family members of dead people to appeal to the Supreme Court against decisions by coroners.

He said the changes to the Coroners Act 2008 would enable the Supreme Court to order an inquest be held if it was satisfied it was in the interests of justice to do so.

“These amendments will restore the right for the family of a deceased to appeal to the Supreme Court against a coroner’s decision not to hold an inquest or to reopen an investigation into a death,” Mr Clark told the Herald Sun on Wednesday.

“The Supreme Court will be able to require an inquest to be held, or an investigation reopened, where it is satisfied it is necessary or desirable in the interests of justice to do so.

“In life and death matters, it is important that there be a right of appeal on such crucial issues.

“The amendments we are making will restore this valuable right that the previous Labor government removed.”

Ms Williams and Mr Tanner on Wednesday both told the Herald Sun they welcomed the changes and would be making Supreme Court applications under them.

“I owe it to our daughter Dhakota to apply for an inquest as I need her to know I did everything in my power to find out how and why her father was murdered,” Ms Williams said.

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Mr Tanner said he would use the changed law to try to get a third inquest into the death of his sister-in-law Jennifer Tanner.

“I am confident that if I get that third inquest it will find I had nothing to do with Jennifer’s death,” Mr Tanner said.

The first Jennifer Tanner inquest returned an open finding, which was overturned by a second inquest in 1998 which found Denis Tanner shot dead Ms Tanner at her Bonnie Doon home in 1984.

The Herald Sun revealed in November 2012 that Mr Clark was considering scrapping changes introduced by the Labor government which stopped Mr Tanner going to the Supreme Court.

Mr Clark wrote to Mr Tanner’s legal team saying he was considering changes to the appeal provisions in the Coroners Act 2008 which would allow Mr Tanner to resurrect his appeal against the coroner’s finding he shot dead Ms Tanner.

“My application to the Supreme Court for a new inquest was well advanced when Labor changed the Act to stop me,” Mr Tanner said on Wednesday.

“I am grateful this Government has reversed that decision so I can again apply to the Supreme Court to clear my name.”

Prominent barrister Bob Galbally, who acts for Mr Tanner, told the Herald Sun in 2012 the unfair changes to the Coroners Act by Labor had thwarted Mr Tanner’s first bid to clear his name in 2008.

``Denis Tanner has been the victim of a miscarriage of justice,” Mr Galbally said in 2012.

``He has never been charged or convicted.

``There is direct evidence that Denis Tanner was in Melbourne at the time his sister-in-law died. Witnesses can support his account.’’

State Coroner Ian Gray ruled in April that no inquest would be held on gangland boss Williams, saying it would be unnecessary duplication as several other probes had already been held into Williams’ death in Barwon Prison.

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Ms Williams and Williams’ father George want an inquest to investigate whether guards failed to properly monitor Williams.

They are suing the state for compensation for alleged negligence which they claim contributed to fellow prisoner Matthew Johnson being able to beat Williams to death.

Ms Williams on Wednesday told the Herald Sun she and George Williams would use the changed law to apply to the Supreme Court for an inquest into the circumstances surrounding Williams’ murder.

She said they would do so for the sake of the daughter she and Williams had, Dhakota, 13.

“I want answers for her, not for me,” Ms Williams said.

“I don’t want one day for my little girl Dhakota to come up to me and say ‘mummy why didn’t you fight more for my daddy?’.

“So that’s why I am having this fight for an inquest, for my child, because she is little now and she can’t fight for her father.

“She is the one who needs answers later on in life when I have to sit her down and explain things to her.

“An inquest will hopefully provide those answers.”

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