Sinister role of union revealed, but little else
13.03.2010
By: TONY KOCH
ANALYSIS
IT has taken more than five years, thousands of pages of evidence and statements, the expenditure of millions of dollars, in excess of a month of court time, and still there is no answer as to how Mulrunji Doomadgee died in a cell in the Palm Island police station on November 19, 2004.
The people of Palm Island and Doomadgee's loved ones desperately want closure.
They did not want another court hearing at which they would be forced to relive the tragedy.
What emerged this week was the sinister part played by the Queensland Police Union, and evidence was adduced demonstrating how this dashed any chance of swift and thorough justice.
Most concerning was the action taken by the union when an autopsy revealed Doomadgee had sustained horrific internal injuries after his arrest.
It was revealed that the police union contacted its normal legal representatives, Brisbane legal firm Gilshenan and Luton, who despatched solicitor Glen Cranny to the scene.
All key police involved were told by the union that Cranny would be representing them, including arresting officer Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley.
They complied with requests from Cranny that they provide statements.
It was revealed that when Hurley was charged with manslaughter in 2007, the union instructed each of the police (who were witnesses for the Crown) not to provide any statements unless and until they were instructed to do so by the police commissioner.
Each of those police witnesses told Coroner Brian Hine this was the first and only time in their careers they had acted in this manner -- and admitted that the recalcitrant attitude to the prosecution team was adopted because the accused was a fellow police officer.
