Detective to fight Dani Laidley photo leak charges
A detective accused of calling former AFL coach Dani Laidley a “tranny” and leaking photos of her will contest misconduct charges.
Police & Courts
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A Victoria Police detective accused of leaking photos of former AFL coach Dani Laidley in custody and calling her a “tranny” is set to fight charges of misconduct in court.
Detective Senior Constable Murray Gentner was charged alongside a number of officers for disseminating two photos following Laidley’s arrest in St Kilda in May last year.
The photos — one showing Laidley in police custody wearing a dress, long blonde wig and makeup, and the other a mugshot of her on a police computer screen — made national headlines within hours of the ex-Kangaroos coach’s arrest.
Sen-Constable Gentner, known for his involvement in chasing James Gargasoulas in the lead up to the deadly 2017 Bourke Street car rampage, is facing six charges including unauthorised access and disclosure of police information and misconduct in public office.
As the case was called on in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, magistrate Simon Zebrowski was quick to ask “What’s happening with this matter?”.
Tony Hargreaves, for Gentner, said: “The matter has not resolved and I doubt will resolve.”
He successfully sought an adjournment to October 8 when another officer, Senior Constable Shane Reid, would face court for a contested hearing on similar charges over the photo leak scandal.
Charge sheets allege Sen-Constable Gentner took a photo of Laidley’s mugshot in the police database and shared it multiple times with commentary including “now a full blown ice head and tranny” and “He’s fried. Dressing like a tranny”.
It is alleged Sen-Constables Gentner and Reid were part of a WhatsApp Group of about nine officers called the “SD1 Gentleman’s Club” in which Gentner also shared the photo.
Sen-Constable Reid is accused of taking the second photo of Laidley in the police interview room and also sharing it to the group chat.
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