Police were warned off going to Carl Williams’ funeral
Police became ‘too close’ to gangland boss Carl Williams and were banned from attending his funeral after requesting permission to go. The shock revelation is among more documents made public as part of the Lawyer X royal commission.
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THE police investigators who were “downloading’’ Carl Williams over police corruption and gangland murders were banned from going to his funeral after his jailhouse killing.
The Herald Sun can reveal former senior officer Doug Fryer, who took over the investigation into the gangland murders of Terence and Christine Hodson, issued an order to Petra taskforce members investigating the murders to stay away after learning of their planned attendance.
Several officers who dealt with Williams were going to attend his funeral after he was murdered in Barwon Prison in April, 2010.
Mr Fryer has told the Lawyer X royal commission a decision was made shortly afterwards to disband the Petra taskforce.
“The Petra investigators had been dedicated to the work of the Taskforce for several years and had been devastated when the case against Dale and Collins had fallen away,’’ he said.
“However, it became clear that they had become too close and too involved with the investigation.
“For example. they had requested permission to attend the funeral of Carl Williams, which was denied.’’
But a key investigator within the Petra taskforce has rejected Mr Fryer’s assertions, saying they are insulting.
“There never was an application made to go to the funeral,’’ he said.
“And I reject any suggestion we got too close to Williams.
“It’s quite insulting.’’
The Herald Sun has been told they were shattered the case had been all but destroyed by the death of Williams.
Williams was buried in a gold coffin and his killer, Matthew Charles Johnson, would be convicted over his premeditated murder.
Police probed several underworld figures believed to be behind the hit.
Money trails were investigated by the Driver taskforce which investigated Williams’ murder, probing organised criminals such as mafia player Rocco Arico as having ordered the jailhouse murder.
It had become known inside and outside the prison Williams was co-operating with police well before he was murdered.
It is thought his planned assistance in the 2000 gangland murder of Richard Mladenich signed his death warrant.
Johnson, who Williams had hand-picked to be in his unit, was a co-founder of the Prisoners of War prison gang.
The gang’s objective is to hunt and harm informers.
Williams other unit mate, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was well known to Dale.
Allegations had surfaced years earlier about Dale’s association with the criminal, but they were never proven.
The Hodson murders remain unsolved.
Investigators from the Petra taskforce and its successor, the Driver taskforce, have both told the Herald Sun that their investigations were cut short.
Investigators have also said both taskforces were hamstrung by the role Gobbo played for police as “human source 3838’’.
At the time of his execution, Hodson was preparing to give evidence against Dale and another detective, David Miechel, about a drug rip-off in Oakleigh he stated they were all involved in September, 2003.
Before he and his wife were shot in their home in May, 2004, his informer file was leaked from police headquarters.
He had been an informer to Dale and Miechel, who were officers in the drug squad.
Corrupt cop Miechel was captured by police near the burglary scene in Oakleigh as was Hodson.
Dale was with friends that night.
The drug safe house was linked to Tony Mokbel, Gobbo’s major client.
The barrister would become involved with every player in the scenario, passing information between criminals, and between police officers.
She was also Hodson’s lawyer, organising for him to co-operate with police against Dale and Miechel while also giving legal advice to Dale.
It was during this period they had a sexual relationship.
Lawyer X, the story of how one woman played off police and criminals, is published by HarperCollins Australia. Available now.
Live online Q&A with authors Dowsley and Carlyon, hosted by Sky News’ Peter Stefanovic, on their battle to expose the truth. Send questions to ask.lawyerx@news.com.au and watch at facebook.com/TrueCrimeAustralia/ 6:30pm AEST, Sept 9.
Watch Peter Stefanovic’s compelling two-part documentary Lawyer X: The Untold Story on Sky News at 8pm AEST, Sept 12 & 19.
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