Ex police officer Cliff Lockwood — acquitted of murdering crime figure Gary Abdallah — has died

Former police officer Cliff Lockwood — the first Victorian officer to be charged with murder in the line of duty following the shooting death of crime figure Gary Abdallah — has died.

Cliff Lockwood has died. Picture: Patrina Malone

Former police officer Cliff Lockwood, who was acquitted of murdering crime figure Gary Abdallah, has died.

Lockwood became the first Victoria Police officer to be charged with murder in the line of duty after the April, 1989, death of Abdallah at his flat in Drummond St, Carlton.

At the time, police had wanted to interview Abdallah about what he knew of the infamous 1988 Walsh St killings of young policemen Steven Tynan and Damien Eyre.

He was shot seven times, prosecutors alleging that Lockwood fired six shots from his service revolver and another from that of his partner, Dermot Avon.

They argued the killing could not be justified.

Gary Abdallah.

It was agreed Abdallah, 24, produced an imitation pistol but the prosecution said Abdallah would have posed no risk by the time the seventh shot was fired.

Abdallah had come under scrutiny because of his links to key Walsh St suspects but was actually to be arrested by Lockwood over an attempted murder in King St.

Coroner Hal Hallenstein cleared Lockwood at inquest, finding Abdallah contributed to a fatal sequence of events by pointing the imitation gun at police.

Abdallah’s family was angry and adamant he was murdered.

Lockwood returned to the force after his acquittal in the 20-day trial but was later dogged by personal problems.

After quitting Victoria Police, he wound up in the Northern Territory where he was later to plead guilty to high-level drug charges.

Lockwood allegedly delivered 1856 pseudoephedrine tablets to an undercover police officer.