Police raised pressure on Shandee Blackburn murder suspect John Peros

Police confronted Shandee Blackburn’s former boyfriend with a court order for his DNA, fingerprints and photographs and video of him.

Shandee Blackburn's former boyfriend John Peros.

Police confronted Shandee Blackburn’s former boyfriend John Peros with a court order allowing them to obtain his DNA and fingerprints – and to photograph and record video of him.

It was part of a series of tactical moves designed to gather evidence and apply pressure on their main suspect in the stabbing murder of Shandee as she walked home from work alone in Mackay, Queensland, in February 2013.

Mr Peros had refused to voluntarily supply his DNA, unlike Shandee’s new boyfriend Arron Macklin and dozens of others who submitted samples to help police eliminate them from the investigation.

Shandee Blackburn's former boyfriend John Peros in a police video from mid-February 2014. Picture: Supplied

Detectives already had a covert DNA sample from a cigarette butt Mr Peros discarded, but they went to his Mackay flat in mid-February 2014 with a forensic procedure order allowing them to obtain it formally.

Detective Sergeant Lisa Elkins told Mr Peros the order gave police the power to detain him to take his identifying details.

“I don’t consent to any of this at all. If I refuse?” Mr Peros said.

Police had a court order to obtain Peros's DNA and fingerprints and photographs and a video of him. Picture: Supplied

Sergeant Elkins replied: “Then we will use reasonable force to take you back. And obviously still perform the non-intimate forensic procedure.”

The visit was recorded and is revealed in a new episode of the investigative podcast series Shandee’s Story, which re-examines the brutal unsolved murder.

Mr Peros denies any involvement. In 2017, a jury acquitted him of the murder in less than two hours. However, a coroner last year found Mr Peros did kill Shandee but did not find fresh and compelling evidence to charge him again under double-jeopardy laws.

The police video recorded Peros at various angles. Picture: Supplied

When police visited Mr Peros for his DNA sample, he continued to challenge their authority to detain him.

“I don’t believe I have to go with you guys at all to give you DNA or fingerprints. I’m an innocent man. Have I done something wrong?” he said.

Sergeant Elkins explained he didn’t have a choice, but let him call his Brisbane solicitor, Peter Shields. “I’ve got four police officers at my house,” Mr Peros told his lawyer.

Mr Shields conferred with ­Sergeant Elkins and confirmed refusal wasn’t an option.

In the police car and back at the station, Mr Peros engaged in intelligent and witty banter with officers. It was in stark contrast to the later portrayal of him by his lawyers of Mr Peros having difficulty understanding events and a poor memory.

He cracked jokes with detectives, even suggesting they do a bank robbery together. “You’d have to do the running bit,” Sergeant Elkins replied. Her remark had to be a reference to CCTV footage police had of someone running towards Shandee moments before she was stabbed.

Episode 6 of 'Shandee's Story' is titled Losing It.

For 12 months, police had been closely studying the running ­figure. They believed it was Shandee’s killer – and that the figure was likely to be Mr Peros.

Mr Peros didn’t know that they had the footage, or further CCTV ­images of a vehicle that looked very much like his.

In the police station, police took a video of Mr Peros from all angles. “I didn’t do my hair – didn’t clean myself up,” Mr Peros quipped at the time.

Finishing up, Sergeant Elkins handed Mr Peros a notice. It compelled him to attend coercive hearings where he would be required to answer questions or be fined or jailed.

Shandee’s Story is an investigation by national chief correspondent Hedley Thomas. Episode 6, Losing it, is available to The Australian’s subscribers