Support squad cheers as ex-top cop Gary Jubelin enters battle to clear his name

Former NSW homicide detective Gary Jubelin was due in court at 9.30am. As ever, he was early.

Former NSW detective Gary Jubelin, centre, leaves the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney. Picture: AAP.

Former NSW homicide detective Gary Jubelin was due in court at 9.30am.

As ever, he was early.

With his shiny head and ­mangled nose, he came up the steps in a sharp suit and a silky tie, just as he’d done a thousand times before. Except this time was different. He’s now the accused.

Mr Jubelin was until earlier this year one of the state’s most famous and celebrated cops, in charge of the investigation into the dis­appearance of a three-year-old foster child William Tyrrell.

He quit the force in March, and was subsequently charged with four criminal offences related to the handling of the case, which is now the subject of The Australian’s new podcast series, Nowhere Child.

The decision to prosecute him has enraged his supporters, who cheered for Mr Jubelin as he strode forth on this day of reckoning. “Go Gary!” said one. “Got your back!” said another.

Mr Jubelin’s high-wattage court squad included one of the state’s top barristers, former crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC, and former deputy commissioner of NSW police Nick Kaldas, who’d just had a coffee with him.

Mr Jubelin — a mixed martial arts expert — sipped green tea. Others in the support group included families from Bowraville, a small town still mourning the murder of three indigenous children more than 25 years ago.

Mr Jubelin is best known for pursuing the Bowraville matter long after others had given it away; and for his work on the disappearance of Matthew Leveson, whose body was found in a forest a decade after he went missing after some deft police work by Mr Jubelin. Having wended his way through the wedge, Mr Jubelin made his way up to courtroom No 4 .4.

As with the investigation into William’s disappearance, all was in chaos.

The room chosen for Mr Jube­lin’s mention — where they read the charges, and he gives his plea — was packed with supporters, many wearing indigenous colours and most of whom have no truck with the idea Mr Jubelin sails too close to the wind with his methods.

Leveson’s mother, Faye Leveson, said: “I think this is disgusting. Gary always had our back. Now we’ve got his.”

Chaos turned comical when the prosecution, the side Mr Jube­lin is normally on, failed to turn up on time and had to be called over the court loudspeaker, and then fight their way into the room, which was by then so full the door wouldn’t close.

Not guilty, Mr Jubelin’s barrister was finally able to say.

On the court steps afterwards, Mr Jubelin said: “Those charges related specifically to me carrying out my duties investigating the disappearance of William Tyrrell.

“In essence, I’ve been accused of recording four conversations.

“Those … were conversations I had with a person about the dis­appearance of William Tyrrell. I had a lawful right and operational need to record that conversation … I’ve made no ­attempt … to conceal the fact I recorded those conversations. Sadly, I’ve retired from the NSW police. It’s not what I wanted to do ... it’s as a direct result of the manner in which management treated me after these allegations surfaced — my position in the NSW police became untenable.

“I was not allowed to carry out duties. I was taken off the investigations I was leading, and I could no longer continue to support victims and lock up the bad guys like I’ve done throughout my career.”

Asked if he was heartbroken, Mr Jubelin said: “I’m not broken, I have done nothing wrong. And I will continue to defend myself in regards to this. I think you can tell how I feel about this whole situation. I think it’s an incredible waste of time, but the courts have to go through due process and I’ve got to respect that process.”

He was cheered as he left the area.

Rachel Sanki, who was Matt Leveson’s best friend, said: “I’m proud to support Gary. He stood by us. We’ll stand by him.”

Allen Kirk, the first cousin of Clinton Speedy, one of the Bowraville dead, said he’d come to Sydney from Kempsey to say: “He’s a top bloke, and he’s not guilty of the charges.”

Matt Leveson’s father, Mark, said: “These superiors have made one huge mistake. They have ­underestimated all of us.”