Whiskey Au Go Go gambit’s go-going nowhere

Historical police verballing was at the centre of the Whiskey Au Go Go mass murder inquest hearings in the Brisbane Coroner’s Court on Tuesday.

Former police detective Peter Slatter leaves Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Picture: Tara Croser.

The great and ancient chess game that was historical police verballing was at the centre of the Whiskey Au Go Go mass murder inquest hearings in the Brisbane Coroner’s Court on Tuesday.

The verbal, or bricking (def. the falsification of evidence in order to bring a criminal charge – Collins English Dictionary) was widespread among past generations of police.

And the rumour was that it was employed against John Andrew Stuart and James Finch – the two men convicted of the Whiskey nightclub firebombing in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley that killed 15 people on March 8, 1973.

The new inquest, before state Coroner Terry Ryan and now in its final days, has this week ­attempted to wrestle that rumour to the ground.

Finch was interrogated by detectives including Sid Atkinson, Brian Hayes and then Sydney young-gun detective Roger Rogerson, on the afternoon of Sunday March 11, 1973.

That interrogation produced an unsigned record of interview from Finch that went a long way towards helping convict him of the Whiskey mass murder at his trial later that year.

And there was more. There were claims that Finch was bashed by detectives in the process of extracting his confession.

On Tuesday, the inquest heard from police officers who were on the scene that distant Sunday. They were Peter David Slatter, a detective senior constable attached to the Brisbane CIB Homicide Squad, and John Kolence, a junior officer.

The court heard that both men sat with James Finch after his arrest but before his formal interview with the senior detectives.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Stephen Keim SC, ran another witness’s recollections about the interrogation past Mr Slatter to seek his views. For example: Finch at one point put his head on his arms and cried.

Slatter: I don’t recall him crying at all.

Finch was beaten up by police and officers also discussed how Finch’s statement should be written up.

Slatter: I have no knowledge of that. As far as I understood it was a straightforward record of interview.

Did he see any signs that Finch had been bashed?

Slatter: No.

Even that holy text on how to conduct yourself as a decent and honest policeman – the Fitzgerald Inquiry report – was cited in court. It says in part: “Verballing, or the fabrication with or tampering with evidence, arises out of frustration and contempt for the criminal justice system. The practice reduces the effect of the presumption of innocence.”

When asked if he was aware of the practice of verballing, Slatter said you were “always aware of it”, and that you could go to court with a statement “witnessed by a priest” and still be accused of verballing. “That’s what criminal lawyers did in those days,” he told the court.

After lunch, Mr Kolence appeared as a witness via telephone.

On that Sunday, he too spent part of his shift “babysitting” Finch. He was quizzed about the timing of events on Sunday, March 11, and grew agitated at the series of questions.

“I don’t remember what time all this happened,” he said. “I think it’s unfair asking me what times things happened 50 years ago. I can only remember so much. I’m on my way out now. My memory’s not real good.”

Convicted murderer Rogerson, is expected to give evidence via video link on Friday.

And convicted triple murderer Vincent O’Dempsey will be called to the stand next week.

The verdict on Tuesday’s verballing chess tussle?

Stalemate.