Kumanjayi Walker inquest: Zach Rolfe tells Ben Roberts-Smith ‘I need some wild times badly’

Court documents have revealed Zach Rolfe texted the accused war criminal asking for advice about how to do ‘some dangerous shit’ six months before he shot and killed Kumanjayi Walker.

Zach Rolfe texted accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith asking for advice about how to do “some dangerous shit” six months before he shot and killed Kumanjayi Walker, court documents have revealed.

Mr Rolfe was acquitted on all charges after shooting the 19-year-old Warlpiri-Luritja man three times while on duty in Yuendumu in November 2019.

The documents released at an inquest into Mr Walker’s death on Tuesday reveal Mr Rolfe texted Mr Roberts-Smith on May 5 of that year, saying “Hey brother it’s Zach”.

“I’m at work at the moment but was gonna see if you were free sometime for a chat about some work,” he wrote.

“I’m heading over SA soon for that ronin course mainly just for shits and giggles but yeah, policings good but it’s not going anywhere and I need some wild times badly.”

The disgraced Victoria Cross recipient responded, saying “Understand mate and happy to chat”.

“I have a few different contacts running contracts out of Kabul/Afg, Syria/Iraq, and Lybia(sic)/Africa,” he wrote.

“Will be able to connect you with the right people and doing the Ronin course will add value to your CV.”

Zach Rolfe with disgraced SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith on holiday in Bali last year.

Mr Rolfe then texted Mr Roberts-Smith again to say “that’d be wicked” and that he expected his goal of joining NT Police’s elite Territory Response Group “will happen at some point”.

“I know it sounds dumb to some people but you’d get it, I just want some dangerous shit (whilst being professional),” he wrote.

“I’ve already passed just waiting for a spot but they’re about to run a new course and they’re gonna pump a few girls through so with the new diverse world those girls will take priority over me so I’ve got time to do other stuff.”

Mr Roberts-Smith responded: “All good mate. Let’s chat next week about it but I can give you some insight.”

Under questioning by counsel assisting the Coroner Peggy Dwyer SC on Tuesday, Mr Rolfe agreed the messages reflected his interest in the “high adrenaline, exciting stuff” only occasionally available to him in the police force at the time.

Mr Roberts-Smith was found to have committed war crimes in a civil defamation trial last year, with the verdict now under appeal in the Federal Court.

The inquest continues on Wednesday.

Charge ‘to justify use of force’ an ‘admin issue’ Zach Rolfe tells inquest

Former NT Police constable Zach Rolfe has dismissed a comment he made about charging a drunk man with fighting in public, “to justify the use of force” after pushing him over, as “an administrative issue”.

Mr Rolfe took the stand in the Alice Springs Local Court on Tuesday for the second day of evidence at an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker at Yuendumu in 2019.

The ex-cop was acquitted on all charges over the shooting in 2022 after killing the 19-year-old Warlpiri-Luritja man during a bungled arrest in the Central Australian Aboriginal community.

On Tuesday, Mr Rolfe told counsel assisting the Coroner Peggy Dwyer SC he was “not at all” fazed by Local Court judge Greg Borchers’ findings in May 2019 that he assaulted an Aboriginal man and then lied about it under oath.

“Judge Borchers had a history of making, I would say outrageous comments, in his court findings, racist comments about Indigenous people abandoning their babies, being primitive-like and dragging their women out of caves,” he testified.

Former NT Police constable Zach Rolfe leaves the Alice Springs Local Court after giving evidence at an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker. Picture: Jason Walls

“I believe he was called to be removed from the bench a number of times and because we didn’t put much weight on any of the comments he’d made previously like that – he was known for making outrageous comments – we put this comment in the same bucket.”

Mr Rolfe said he was also untroubled by the comments because he “knew that he was wrong about what had occurred”.

“We had a fairly junior prosecutor, a particular witness wasn’t called that would have assisted us and the defence lawyer was very good at his job,” he said.

Dr Dwyer asked Mr Rolfe about an allegation made by his former fiancee that he had asked a detective to scratch his face after the incident referred to in Mr Borchers’ judgment so the paperwork “could say that’s why he had used force”.

In response, Mr Rolfe said while he agreed with Claudia Campagnaro about frequently hearing racist language in the police force, her allegation was “not true”.

Earlier, Dr Dwyer had played body-worn footage of Mr Rolfe pushing over an intoxicated Aboriginal man before remarking that he “might have to give him an infringement just to justify the use of force”.

“There was no need to use force in that interaction with those two men,” Dr Dwyer suggested.

Mr Rolfe replied: “I disagree.”

“Why did you use the words ‘might have to give him an infringement just to justify the use of force’?

Mr Rolfe replied: “I guess that’s an administrative issue.”

The inquest continues.

Police on alert after ‘threats to kill’ Zach Rolfe outside inquest

Updated, 12.20pm: Police are “monitoring the situation” after members of a group gathered outside court on Monday threatened to kill former cop Zach Rolfe, a court has heard.

Mr Rolfe is in his second day of giving evidence at an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker, who he fatally shot while on duty in Yuendumu in 2019 before being acquitted on all charges in 2022.

On Tuesday, his barrister Michael Abbott KC told Coroner Elisabeth Armitage about the “disturbing incident” that happened as Mr Rolfe, his partner and his legal team boarded a taxi the previous afternoon.

“As we walked across the road outside the court, the taxi was parked adjacent to the lawn on the other side, a large group of Aborigines began yelling out obscenities and worse still, threats to kill my client,” he said.

“This group became more threatening as we approached them and they tried to block our access to the taxi.

“Moreover, your honour, the obscenities, abuse and threats became louder and the actions of some of those persons constituted assaults on us – one woman attempted to strike me with a sandal as I was trying to get into the taxi.”

26-02-2024 – Explosive scenes outside court as a woman believed to be from Yuendumu confronts former NT police officer Zachary Rolfe after day one of him giving evidence at the inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

Mr Abbott said the group’s behaviour was “obviously, at least an attempt, to intimidate my client” in potential breach of the Coroners Act, albeit that “of course, he was not intimidated”.

“I draw this to your attention because I have great concerns now as we move further towards the events of 9/11/2019 that the activities of this group and others will increase,” he said.

“I’m concerned that attempts to intimidate him or threaten him will continue so I seek an assurance from you that you will direct your staff to make sure that our egress and access to this court is protected and that we arrive here safely and we leave here safely.”

Mr Abbott said he had notified the police of the incident and called on “those that carry out these activities” to be arrested.

In response, Ms Armitage said she would make inquiries “as to the additional security that can be made available”.

“Clearly it’s been brought to the attention of the police and I assume they will carry out their investigations appropriately,” she said.

“However I can say that if you are requesting additional security to enter and exit the premises that is certainly something that I will inquire into.

“Every witness is entitled to attend this court and feel safe to do so and free from intimidation.

“They are required to attend under order of the court and they must be able to attend freely without being intimidated or abused or harassed in any way.”

Counsel for NT Police Ian Freckelton KC said police were “monitoring the situation” and would provide “any assistance and support” Mr Rolfe required.

The inquest continues.

Rolfe ‘lied’ about drug use, forgot violence charge, inquest hears

Initial, February 27: Former Territory cop Zach Rolfe lied about not having used illegal drugs and “didn’t remember” he’d been charged with “violent behaviour” when he first applied to become a police officer, a court has heard.

Mr Rolfe faced the first day of questioning from counsel assisting the Coroner Peggy Dwyer SC on Monday at an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker at Yuendumu in 2019.

The former constable was acquitted on all charges in 2022 after fatally shooting the 19-year-old Warlpiri-Luritja man while on duty in the remote outback community northwest of Alice Springs.

On Monday, Dr Dwyer took Mr Rolfe though his application to join the Queensland Police Service in 2011 before he was knocked back by the sunshine state constabulary, and ended up applying for a job with NT Police.

In response to the question “have you ever used illegal drugs?” Mr Rolfe had written “no”. And after being granted an immunity certificate by Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage, he admitted that was “a lie”.

“Basically to give me the best chances of getting into the (QPS) at that time,” he said.

“I did smoke a bit of marijuana as a teenager (and) I think I did some MDMA while I was in the army.”

Explosive scenes outside court as a woman believed to be from Yuendumu confronts former NT police officer Zachary Rolfe after day one of him giving evidence at the inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

Mr Rolfe said he had forgotten all about the incident that led to him being charged with “public nuisance, violent behaviour” while stationed with the army in Townsville in which “a fellow soldier was being assaulted by a number of men”.

He said he ran to help the other man who was “on the ground, unconscious” and “attempted to assist”.

“We had a fight, me and the group and I guess I was losing that fight and then I started winning that fight,” he said.

“Unfortunately, when the police arrived, it looked like I was very much winning that fight, so I got arrested.”

Mr Rolfe said the incident, for which he was fined $300, was not “particularly memorable” and he “did not take that fine particularly seriously”.

“They’re memorable if you spend your life sitting behind a desk, but for me in my life, no, it wasn’t,” he said.

“I ended up getting taken in the front of my platoon and having my hand shaken by the sergeant for defending this guy’s life.

“And I got asked to go spend time with him in the hospital when he woke up from his coma to let him know that he wasn’t alone when this occurred.

“The police shook my hand as well, said I did a good job once they found out exactly what had occurred.”

Explosive scenes outside court as a woman believed to be from Yuendumu confronts former NT police officer Zachary Rolfe after day one of him giving evidence at the inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

Mr Rolfe was greeted with jeers as he left the courthouse on Monday with one woman appearing to strike him with a thong as he got into a waiting taxi while his lawyer Michael Abbott KC ran interference.

The inquest continues.

NT Police top brass scramble to probe explosive elite unit racism claims

Update, February 26: NT Police’s top brass is scrambling to investigate explosive racism allegations made by former constable Zach Rolfe in giving evidence at an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker.

Mr Rolfe took the stand on Monday where he said other officers had told him the force’s elite Territory Response Group had mockingly handed out “c--n of the year awards” to its members.

He also told Coroner Elisabeth Armitage an officer currently in the top echelons of the force, whose identity is suppressed from publication, had been “kicked out” of a Chinese restaurant for racially “abusing the staff”.

“Apparently they were slow so he hit them up about being ‘if they’re still angry for what we did to them in Vietnam’,” Mr Rolfe said.

“His response to that when asked by a witness who was there recently was ‘Oh, we’ve just moved on from that’.

“So I find it quite strange that the evidence so far that you’ve heard is that there’s no, racist language hasn’t been normalised by the NT Police.”

Mr Rolfe declined to name the officers who had told him about the TRG awards but agreed to provide the name of the witness to the restaurant incident for NT Police to follow up.

In response to the allegations, the force’s barrister Ian Freckelton KC told the court the executive was pulling out all stops to investigate.

“The Acting Commissioner of the NT Police Force (Martin Dole) has been present in court for the evidence given so far today and I can tell you the allegations being made by the witness are being looked into immediately,” he said.

Former NT Police constable Zach Rolfe arrives at the Alice Springs Local Court on Monday. Picture: Jason Walls

“We want to make it very clear that the commissioner wants this investigated and will use all endeavours to do so and if this witness were prepared to assist in a candid way, that would be appreciated for the conduct of the investigation.

“But instead he appears to be trying to conduct some form of negotiation about it, we say to your honour that is most unfortunate, but nonetheless, what can be done will be done.”

The inquest continues.

Elite NT Police unit handed out ‘c--n of the year award’: Rolfe

Monday, February 26: The NT Police’s most elite tactical unit routinely handed out awards for “c--n of the year”, mockingly recognising its members “for exhibiting the most c--n-like behaviour of the year”, a court has heard.

Former NT police constable Zachary Rolfe gave the explosive testimony at an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker, who he shot and killed during a bungled arrest in 2019, after returning to the witness box on Monday.

Mr Rolfe, who was acquitted on all charges over the shooting in 2022, also told Coroner Elisabeth Armitage his police colleagues in Alice Springs would refer to an “Aboriginal only” pub as “the animal bar”.

Mr Rolfe said he had been surprised to hear other officers denying racist language was used routinely within the force, saying it was “normalised” and “utilised nearly daily”.

“That section of the Todd Tavern is called by basically the whole police station in Alice Springs – and I believe to the point where it’s mentioned over the radio – as the animal bar because it’s an Aboriginal only bar,” he said.

“In the muster room I could hear something racist said nearly every day.”

But Mr Rolfe, who spent his policing career in Alice Springs, said any suggestion racist language was confined to Central Australia was “completely wrong”.

“You’ve heard evidence about the Territory Response Group and how professional they are and they are the tip of the spear and from the TRG a number of those members have gone on to have high ranking positions in the police force,” he said.

“Up until recently the TRG had an annual party where they would issue awards to some of the members.

Former NT Police constable Zach Rolfe arrives at the Alice Springs Local Court on Monday. Picture: Jason Walls

“Among the police force we had heard of this award and we knew it to be called the ‘c--n of the year award’ … for exhibiting the most c--n-like behaviour of the year.”

Mr Rolfe said TRG members would then “make the recipient dress up in a toga and they’d give him a wooden club with some nails through the end of it which would often live above the TRG cave door”.

“This is accepted and this is known about by multiple people who have given evidence here, and multiple people have lied about it and the people who have taken part in it have moved their way up into the executive,” he said.

“Culture starts at the head and in a small place like the NT Police, we’re going to hear about this kind of stuff and this does become normalised.”

Mr Rolfe said as he was not a member of the TRG he never attended the party but had heard about it “through other TRG members who have gone throughout the police force”.

“I know there’s a (live) stream on so I’d remind them that there’s photos and videos of this ceremony occurring,” he said.

When asked by counsel assisting the Coroner Peggy Dwyer SC whether he now had “more awareness about how problematic the use of that language is than you did when you were in the police force” Mr Rolfe replied: “100 per cent”

“I know there are studies that do show the normalisation of that language can dehumanise someone … (but) I can tell you that wasn’t the case for me,” he said.

“The fact that I for example said c--n in my (text) messages, the fact that that’s been made public, which would have caused hurt to a number of people, especially kids, who should have been able to trust the police force, that kills me, so I’m sorry for that, but I can’t take it back.”

The inquest continues.

Originally published as Kumanjayi Walker inquest: Zach Rolfe tells Ben Roberts-Smith ‘I need some wild times badly’