Police killer Jason Roberts makes fresh bid for retrial over murders of Gary Silk and Rodney Miller
THE Andrews Government has received a new petition for mercy from convicted cop killer Jason Roberts in his marathon bid for a retrial over the murders of Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller.
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THE Andrews Government has received a new petition for mercy from convicted cop killer Jason Roberts in his marathon bid for a retrial.
Roberts was convicted with co-accused Bandali Debs of the shooting murders of Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller — who were working undercover on a stake-out when they were ambushed after intercepting a car in Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin, early on August 16, 1998.
Attorney-General Martin Pakula received the revised petition last week after asking for it to be resubmitted during a doorstop press conference.
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Mr Pakula was responding to a Herald Sun investigation that found police had falsified a statement that was crucial to Roberts’ conviction.
The series of reports in July and November last year resulted in anti-corruption body IBAC probing police conduct in the Silk-Miller murder investigation — codenamed Lorimer — for a second time. That statement and subsequent testimony at trial of police officer Glenn Pullin is believed to be prominent in the petition.
In March last year, Mr Pakula denied Roberts’ original petition for mercy.
But it was revealed he had ignored legal opinion from an independent barrister the government had engaged to assess the strength of the case, and also his own Department of Justice.
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Both had recommended referring the case back to the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Pressure intensified when it was revealed Mr Pakula made an 11th-hour call to request Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton make a submission on the Roberts case, which was relied upon to deny returning the case to court.
Mr Pakula also stared down a parliamentary motion to produce documents — releasing only a fraction of the material.
The case has caused significant rumblings within police circles. In 2013, veteran homicide detective Ron Iddles investigated Roberts’ claims that he was not at the scene of the crime and Debs was the lone gunman.
Attorney-General Martin Pakula confirmed he had received the new
petition and appointed a former judge to review it.
“I have received a further petition for mercy on behalf of Jason Roberts.”
“I’ve asked former Justice Bernard Teague to examine the contents of
the petition and to provide me with advice as soon as possible.
Justice Teague has consented to that request.”
“No further comment will be made on this matter until I receive
Justice Teague’s advice and make a determination on the petition for
mercy.”