Former Road Policing Division Superintendent Daniel Shean to face court over attempting to pervert the course of justice

The head of the Territory’s road safety division allegedly let his son out of a random breath test outside of Darwin’s biggest music festivals.

Daniel Shean, the ex-Road Policing Division Superintendent, was committed to face the higher courts for allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to a traffic incident while at The Gardens on May 18. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The former head of the NT Police road safety division will face the Supreme Court over allegations he let his son out of a booze test outside of Darwin’s biggest music festival.

On Wednesday Daniel Shean, the ex-Road Policing Division Superintendent, was committed to face the higher courts for allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to a traffic incident while at The Gardens on May 18.

The NT News understands there was an internal police investigation into allegations that Mr Shean misused information during a random breath test involving his son following the Bass in the Grass music festival.

The former top cop has previously wholeheartedly denied the allegations against him, and his son is not accused of any wrongdoing.

On Wednesday prosecutor Damien Jones told the Darwin Local Court that the investigation had taken witness statements from two civilians, as well as a statutory declaration from Officer Conan Robertson — who was also part of the NT Police road policing unit.

Former NT Police Superintendent Daniel Shean leaves the Darwin Local Court.

He said alongside this evidence was a 58 page transcript from an electronic record of interview from October 3.

Judge Tanya Fong Lim said she was convinced there was sufficient evidence to commit the former-cop to the Supreme Court, and adjourned his matter to the next criminal call over date on May 15.

In August, Mr Shean told the NT News he had resigned from the NT Police “for personal reasons … my health and family”.

The 56-year-old was formally charged in October, with a police media release failing to highlight that the alleged offending occurred while he was a serving officer.

Under the NT Police transparency guidelines, if an officer faces misconduct allegations and “charges are laid and subsequent disciplinary action taken (if any), this information will be communicated to the public”.

PFES was asked why it was not disclosed that the charges related to a former police officer who at the time of the alleged offending was employed by NT Police.

“NT Police transparency guidelines do not extend to the employment status of the 56-year-old male,” a spokeswoman said.

In 2021 an internal review of NT Police’s media unit made 20 recommendations to reform the office after it found it was generally viewed as “obstructive, secretive, and uncooperative” and had a “bunker mentality”.