Ex-cop’s fight to reveal truth about Bourke St massacre response
An ex-cop who was a first responder on the day of the Bourke St massacre says he will do “whatever it takes” to reveal the truth about the police’s handling of the horrific attack.
VIC News
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A retired police sergeant says he will do “whatever it takes” to unfold the truth of the force’s missed opportunities to stop Bourke St killer James Gargasoulas at a coronial inquest.
Frank Caridi is locked in a battle with Victoria Police over funding for legal representation as he prepares to give evidence at the inquiry next month.
The former officer said it was “really important to me” to ensure the victims know what happened.
“It was my job to protect lives,” Mr Caridi said. “I’m not going to back down.
“There needs to be someone to stand up for these victims.
“We can never ever let this happen again.”
He revealed he has even thought about selling his house, or setting up a Gofundme page to help raise funds for his own lawyer.
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Mr Caridi said.
Mr Caridi made the comments outside the Coroner’s Court today where he had attended for a brief administrative hearing ahead of the six-week inquest.
The inquest will look into Victoria Police’s response to the Bourke St tragedy and whether more could have been done to stop Gargasoulas.
Three-month-old Zachary Bryant, 10-year-old schoolgirl Thalia Hakin, Bhavita Patel, 33, Jess Mudie, 22, Yosuke Kanno, 25, and Matthew Si, 33, were killed when Gargasalous mowed them down on January 20, 2017.
Mr Caridi was one of the first responders to Gargasoulas’s frenzied stabbing attack on brother Angelo in the hours before his deadly CBD rampage and has earlier told the Herald Sun how Victoria Police had three opportunities that day to stop Gargasoulas.
In court today, he told Coroner Jacqui Hawkins he wanted to give evidence at the inquest, but Victoria Police would not fund him being represented by an independent law firm.
“You either use one of the firms we nominate, or you have to fund your own representation,” he said Victoria Police told him.
But Mr Caridi said the two firms the force had suggested were a conflict of interest, including one who was representing the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) in a separate court matter over the Inflation nightclub shooting.
He plans on being critical of CIRT in his evidence, he said, after he was met with red tape when repeatedly requesting their help to arrest Garagasoulas.
“It puts into question whether my right to be fairly and honestly represented is being upheld,” he said.
“At the end of the day, this is about ensuring that the administration of justice is not impeded and that the search for the truth is not sugar-coated or diluted.”
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Ms Hawkins said she had no powers to order the Chief Commissioner of Police Graham Ashton to fund his legal representation.
The court also heard little Zach’s father Matthew, and Mr Si’s wife Melinda Tan would give statements at the inquest, while families of other victims were still deciding.
The inquest will begin on November 18.