Paul Dale shocked by Carl Williams’ jailhouse murder
Controversial ex-cop Paul Dale says he was stunned Carl Williams’ could be murdered by former inmate Matthew Johnson inside maximum security Barwon Prison.
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Infamous former detective Paul Dale says he couldn’t believe gangland figure Carl Williams could be murdered by former inmate Matthew Johnson inside Barwon Prison.
Mr Dale spoke out about the jailhouse attack in an interview on The Project on Tuesday night, saying Johnson should never have been allowed close enough to Williams to beat him to death with the stem of an exercise bike seat.
The controversial ex-cop, who himself was once charged with murder, said it was shocking someone could be killed in the maximum security facility.
“I spent eight months in solitary confinement in Barwon Prison and I’m thinking you can’t get killed in that unit,” he said in the TV interview.
“But then we find out they’ve allowed Carl to have one of the most maniacal, homicidal criminals known to the police — and he is in a cell with Carl Williams.”
The Project presenter Waleed Aly asked Mr Dale: “So are you saying the police were in on it?”
He replied: “I’m not going to go down that path” and then added: “I’m just thinking how absolutely stupid of Victoria Police.”
Mr Dale said he had been fully exonerated of any possibility of involvement in Williams’ 2010 death.
He was previously suspected of killing police informant Terry Hodson and his wife, Christine Hodson, although the charges were later dropped.
Asked about the Hodson case on Tuesday night, Mr Dale said: “Have I been fully exonerated over the Hodsons’ deaths? No, I haven’t, because it’s unsolved. Had they (police) not targeted me the way they did and solved that, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.”
Mr Dale, a former drug squad detective, released a book this week titled Cops, Drugs, Lawyer X and Me.
It comes after his evidence to the Lawyer X royal commission last year where he said he was “set up” by Lawyer X Nicola Gobbo at the behest of her “police handlers” in relation to the Hodson murder investigation.
In 2003, police informant Hodson implicated Mr Dale in the burglary of a drug house run by gangland figure Tony Mokbel.
Eight months later, Hodson and his wife, Christine, were killed.
Mr Dale told The Project he wanted to clear his name, but understood there would always be people who treated him with suspicion.
“I don’t have any hope of ever changing that position. All I can do is come and tell the truth. I’ve watched them (police) break the law, I’ve watched them be corrupt and get away with it until now.”
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