Frustrations boil over between two homicide detectives involved in the William Tyrrell case

THE two lead homicide detectives working on the search for missing boy William Tyrrell are to engage in a “conflict resolution process” after a heated argument about the case almost came to blows.

THE two lead homicide detectives working on the search for missing boy William Tyrrell are to engage in a “conflict resolution process” after a heated argument about the case.

The incident, witnessed by several officers with differing versions of the encounter, involved Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin and the officer-in-charge of the case, Det­ective Sergeant Craig Lambert.

Both men are keen boxers and experienced in martial arts. Insp ­Jubelin did not return calls when contacted yesterday.

William Tyrrell has been missing since September 2014.

One source said papers were thrown on the ground and words exchanged. Another claimed Sgt Lambert and Insp Jubelin had taken hold of each other.

It is understood neither the det­ectives nor their colleagues have made any official complaint about what transpired. Regardless, officials said action has been taken to resolve the matter.

“NSW Police Force is managing a conflict resolution process following a verbal disagreement between two officers during an operational briefing,” a police spokesman said.

“As passion for the job is an ­imperative trait for a detective, ­robust workplace disagreements are not uncommon.”

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin is said to have been in a heated argument with the officer-in-charge of the William Tyrrell case. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Insp Jubelin and Sgt Lambert are two of the force’s most senior and respected officers.

Insp Jubelin has a reputation for straight-talking and is beloved by victims’ families, including the bereaved parents of Matthew Leveson, whose remains were discovered in Sydney’s Royal National Park last year, as a tenacious investigator who’s prepared to be creative in the search for answers.

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Sgt Lambert is similarly respected and is understood to have written the original policy for handling knife attacks against police.

No trace has been found since William, then aged three, went missing from his grandmother’s front yard near Kendall, in northern NSW, on September 12, 2014.

It followed a previous three-week search in June involving dozens of police, which was carried out to ensure nothing was missed early in the investigation, and to rule out the chance of accidental death.

The more recent search concluded with a plan to progress the case to the coroner — a technique that can advance cases by using coronial powers to compel witnesses to appear.

The Tyrrell investigation has been one of the most resource-intensive cases of the past decade, attracting immense public attention and pressure.

Originally published as Frustrations boil over between two homicide detectives involved in the William Tyrrell case