Case closed on Laidley photo leak scandal
Charges have been dropped against a police officer accused of leaking photos of former AFL coach Dani Laidley in custody, marking the end of the two-year saga.
Police & Courts
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The Dani Laidley photo leaking saga is over after the last policeman facing court for sharing images of the ex-Kangaroos coach in custody has had all charges dropped.
Constable David Hall was charged with two counts of unauthorised disclosure of police information for sharing details of Ms Laidley’s arrest over stalking accusations in St Kilda, in May 2020.
Earlier court hearings were told Constable Hall sent three text messages to a man and woman with information about the former AFL coach’s arrest, charges and gender.
Images of Ms Laidley in custody wearing makeup and a wig went viral after they were leaked by officers.
The scandal was described by Chief Commissioner Shane Patton as one of the worst leak in Victoria Police’s history.
But the two-year saga, which saw more than 270 Victoria Police employees interviewed, ended in less than 10 minutes on Friday morning, as prosecutor Neill Hutton told the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court that the Director of Public Prosecutions had dropped all charges.
It comes two months after Detective Leading Senior Constable Murray Gentner had all charges against him dropped over accusations he’d accessed Ms Laidley’s arrest records and shared them on a WhatsApp group.
In March, the court found that prosecutors had failed to establish evidence to prove the charge against the detective, known for his attempts to talk down Bourke St killer James Gargasoulas before he drove into pedestrians.
Also in March, Ms Laidley reached a confidential settlement with Victoria Police after launching civil action over the leak.
Ms Laidley had sought damages over claims that the two images shared of her in custody had brought her “into public ridicule and contempt” and damaged her reputation.
In 2021, she was awarded compensation from six police officers involved in the scandal.
And last month, police officer Shane Reid – who has resigned from the force – had four charges dropped after he admitted to snapping a photo of Ms Laidley in custody.
He earlier said he’d “f---ed up” by taking the image.
“I shouldn’t have. It was just dumb,” he said.
The court found the prosecution failed to establish that Mr Reid’s actions were criminal, rather than workplace misconduct, and the charges were dismissed.
It’s understood no other officers are facing court action over the controversy.
Ms Laidley was contacted through her representative for comment.
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