Convicted cop killer in fight to have conviction quashed

Convicted cop killer Jason Roberts claims new alibi evidence could clear him of the murders of Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller.

Convicted cop killer Jason Roberts could be back before the Supreme Court as early as October in his fight to have his life sentence quashed.

Roberts was jailed for life after being convicted of murdering Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller in Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin, on August 16, 1998.

But he has petitioned for mercy claiming new alibi evidence could clear him of the killings.

Sergeant Gary Silk

The evidence is to be tested by an extraordinary Supreme Court judicial hearing after it was referred to the court by former Attorney-General Martin Pakula following a review of the case by retired Justice Bernard Teague.

At a brief mention of the hearing last Thursday, Judicial Registrar Mark Pedley said the hearing could get underway in October. The rare hearing will go before three Supreme Court judges.

If they are satisfied with the evidence, the case will return to current Attorney-General, Jill Hennessy.

Senior Constable Rodney Miller

Ms Hennessy will then decide whether to send Roberts back to the court stream where he can make a bid for freedom.

Barrister Peter Matthews, for Roberts, told the court planning for the hearing was being hampered by ongoing funding difficulties.

Convicted serial killer Bandali Debs.

A detailed request for additional funding has been submitted to Victoria Legal Aid.

Mr Matthews said Roberts’ legal team was continuing to work on the case despite the funding issue and significant progress had been made in regard to key evidence.

Roberts has claimed he was not at the shooting scene on Cochranes Rd when the murders occurred on August 16, and that Bandali Debs acted alone.

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The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission has held its own investigation into evidence produced by the taskforce that investigated Debs and ­Roberts.

A report into the commission’s findings has not yet been handed down.

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