Police corruption watchdog 'paid for counselling' for Stephen Linnell
THE Victorian police corruption watchdog paid for former media boss Stephen Linnell to have psychological counselling after he agreed to give evidence against his former colleagues.
THE Victorian police corruption watchdog paid for former media boss Stephen Linnell to have psychological counselling after he agreed to give evidence against his former colleagues.
The Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard this morning the Office of Police Integrity organised and paid for “four or five” sessions with a psychologist after Mr Linnell signed a statement specifying his conversations with former assistant commissioner and friend Noel Ashby.
The details came out in the cross examination of Mr Linnell, who is testifying in the committal proceeding against Mr Ashby.
The former assistant commissioner is facing 29 charges, including perjury and making false or misleading statements relating to answers he gave in secret and public Office of Police Integrity hearings in 2007.
Prosecutors allege Mr Ashby lied about having conversations with Mr Linnell about Operation Briars - which was looking into alleged police leaks over the murder investigation of male prostitute Shane Chartres-Abbott.
The confidential operation began after a criminal told police he was the gunman in the 2003 murder of Chartres-Abbott and he had been assisted by a serving and former police officer.
Mr Linnell was part of the Operation Briars working group and was asked to produce a highly confidential media strategy, which he says he later showed to Mr Ashby.
The court heard this morning that Mr Linnell believed the OPI would pay for “as many as I wanted” sessions with a psychologist after he finalised his witness statement with detectives in December 2007.
He said he was told by OPI investigators that he could either give a statement and testify in proceedings against Mr Ashby or face another OPI hearing.
The interview tape of Mr Linnell was also played to the court, where he said he felt manipulated by Mr Ashby.
“I feel that I have made some bad decisions along the way and I have been manipulated,” he said.
The committal continues.
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