On 20 May 2014, former New South Wales police officers Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara murdered student Jamie Gao in cold blood. Moment British man is arrested at Colombian airport as he tries to fly to London with 23 kilos of cocaine Do YOU know your Adam and Eve from your Ruby Murray? jailed for life for the murder of drug dealer Jamie Gao. The police confirmed Rogerson was the 'mole' during an early 1990s secret investigation called 'Operation Graveyard'. Neddy Smith stood trial for her murder, but was acquitted. Read about our approach to external linking. The sources say even some prison officers have become starstruck by his presence in the jail. The judge who sentenced them in 2016, Justice Geoffrey Bellew, said the pair were "overwhelmed by greed"and had formed an agreement to kill with "a complete disregard for the life of another human being". An armed robber, nightclub bouncer and convicted rapist, he moved into contract killing and is said to have murdered a Melbourne barrister and later a Sydney brothel owner. Blue Murder will appear in two parts, beginning at 8.30pm on Sunday on Channel 7. 2023 BBC. Smith insisted they became partners in crime. They also rejected the claim the jury should have been told about a conversation McNamara said he had with Rogerson before the murder where he allegedly admitted to murdering or conspiring to murder six other people. Lawyers for both Rogerson and McNamara indicated they would appeal against the sentence. The death of Lanfranchi, whose girlfriend was heroin-addicted prostitute turned police corruption whistleblower, was ruled in the line of duty. [12] He has two daughters by his first wife Joy Archer. That young observer has now gone on to become the definitive chronicler of a life on both sides of the law that he says is likely without parallel in the English speaking world. The request was for a chat, not an interview. Rogerson was eventually jailed in 1990 for conspiring to pervert the course of justice over the transfer of A$110,000 into bank accounts under false names during the Drury trial. But the cool-headed Smith was not impressed with Flannery, who made powerful enemies among Sydney ganglands other factions and police alike. She began a relationship with a police officer. And so are the Sydney gang wars of the mid 1980s, when criminals turned on each other in a shooting feast over dominance in the Sydney heroin trade. Brisbane's Whiskey Au Go Go fire killed 15 people. Welcome to the Coronation! Rogerson who is now 80, and Glen McNamara, now 62, were jailed for life for the murder of drug dealer Jamie Gao. Melbourne hitman Christopher Dale Flannery was a career criminal who became known as Mr Rent-A-Kill. Former detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara have lost their appeals against convictions for the murder of Sydney drug dealer Jamie Gao. Roger Rogerson likely to die in jail after court declines time - 7NEWS Convicted killer Roger Rogerson was a real life 'Dirty Harry' One of Australia's most notorious cops, Roger Rogerson, is likely to die in jail after a court declined to extend his time to appeal. Roger Rogerson being escorted to a prison van at the Supreme Court in Sydney in 2016. Credit: Dean Lewins/AAP Late last year, as Rogerson languished in a cell in the geriatric unit of Sydney's Long Bay jail over the Gao murder, I received a call from his wife Anne. On 6 June 1984, Drury was shot twice through his kitchen window as he fed his three-year-old daughter. 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[34], During legal proceedings surrounding the trial against suspects involved in the 2009 contract murder of Michael McGurk, the Supreme Court heard evidence that, while in the Cooma Correctional Centre in 2014, Rogerson, McNamara, and Fortunato "Lucky" Gattellari attempted to extort Ron Medich, a businessman and suspect for masterminding the murder of McGurk. Children drinking PINTS and the King riding in a 14-wheel golden HGV - this is Kate and Prince William 'are keen' for Prince George to have official role in King Charles' coronation - but Royally hard work! Christopher Dale Flannery. Rogerson is pictured in 2004. The men were due for trial in the Supreme Court on 20 July 2015. Set in 1980s Sydney, this acclaimed mini-series tells the story of the relationship between corrupt Detective Roger Rogerson and one of Australia's most infamous criminals Neddy Smith. Ive never seen a man more terrified in my life, he says. Former detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Jamie Gao. A reality TV star has allegedly been caught having a full-on affair with a co-star, leaving his longtime girlfriend and fellow castmate heartbroken. Roger Rogerson was the teak-hard. He was known for his hothead and tendency to go off and empty his gun into the victims. A month into the trial, McNab realised this dark new chapter for Rogerson was no epilogue to his previous biography but a new book in the begging. McNamara had argued that would have convinced the jury that Rogerson shot Gao and he was under duress when he helped dispose of the body. He grumbles about the attention but relishes telling old stories to a fresh audience. Both have been found guilty of murder and possession of 2.78. And fabled underworld tales are recreated, such as the scene of Sydney lawyer Brian Alexander on a boat trussed up and chained to a stove, being pitched overboard outside the Sydney Heads. As a public figure straddling corruption and crime in modern times, Rogerson has no peer, McNab says. McNab quit the force in dismay. The first Blue Murder series is largely based on Smiths book Neddy. More than one acquaintance describes Rogerson as a psychopath but the apparently remorseless killer has never undergone a psychiatric assessment of any depth, McNab says. Justice Geoffrey Bellew was satisfied the men formed an agreement to kill so they could steal the 2.78 kilograms of methamphetamine he was going to supply them. During Rogerson's career, he was one of the most decorated officers in the police force, having received at least thirteen awards for bravery, outstanding policemanship and devotion to duty including the Peter Mitchell Trophy, the highest annual police award. Blindsided: Stars affair rocks hit show, Reality star sent to jail over secret sex tape. Lennie McPherson - Sydney Crime Museum Former detective Roger Rogerson, 80, was in Long Bay's aged and frail unit when a prison officer told him Smith had died in the jail hospital. Rogerson's record of killing has led some Australian media outlets to dub him "the serial killer who wore a badge". Both are appealing their convictions and life sentences for the. He became a Sydney celebrity because of his close relationship during the 1980s with corrupt police detective Roger Rogerson. [21], On 17 February 2005, Rogerson and his wife, Anne Melocco, were convicted of lying to the 1999 Police Integrity Commission. "I shot Lanfranchi twice, once in the neck and then one in the chest. 'He did mention that he probably would have been dead long before if he hadn't been in jail but that's about it,' Ms Melocco said. Rodgerson is a surname. Disgraced former detective Roger Rogerson is appealing his life sentence, arguing he didn't know Glen McNamara had sourced a gun before the murder. The latter-day Rogerson was a valued source of advice to criminals on how to find weaknesses in prosecutions against them, building on an already staggering range of underworld contacts. This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 20:08. This was tainted by Purdey's claims that Rogerson assaulted him, prevented him from calling his solicitor and typed up to five different records of the interview. [31], On 2 September 2016, Justice Geoffrey Bellew sentenced Rogerson and McNamara to life in prison, with the statement "The joint criminal enterprise to which each offender was a party was extensive in its planning, brutal in its execution and callous in its aftermath". 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Delving deep again into a signal event in Rogersons past the 1981 shooting of heroin dealer Warren Lanfranchi, which began the coppers original fall from grace he tracked down a man believed to have witnessed the event as a teenager on the street. The female roles of Neddy Smiths wife Debra (Joy Smithers) and Lanfranchis prostitute girlfriend Sallie-Anne Huckstepp (Loene Carmen) give this story depth. Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara: a deadly bromance Early Origins of the Rodgerson family. And on free to air, they watched it again. Arthur Stanley Neddy Smith is a big force of character in the first Blue Murder series. Ms Melocco said Rogerson hadbeen disappointed by losing his murder conviction appeal but had not given up hope and would take the case to the High Court. He assures me McNamara is the key to his freedom. The latter is what brought Rogerson together with McNamara, whose own cultivated image as a former honest cop hung out to dry likewise unravels under McNabs inspection. Notable people with the surname include: Eva Rodgerson (born 1945), Canadian politician; Ian Rodgerson (born 1966), English footballer; Ralph Rodgerson (1893-? Hes in his mid-60s but Roger misses being on centre stage in the criminal life so hes reconstructing his drug-dealing mates.. Rogerson joined the New South Wales (NSW) police in 1959, aged 18. Following the shooting, Huckstepp became an anti-police corruption whistleblower. On 6 June 1984, Flannery was allegedly the shooter who fired two rounds through the kitchen window of the home of Sydney Drug Squad detective, Michael Mick Drury. Christopher Dale Flannery (Gary Sweet) is the Melbourne hitman known as Mr Rent-A-Kill whose entry into the seamy underbelly miles away from his home territory doesnt end well. Allegations bounced off. His 'threat' came shortly after the release of my first book on him. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Smith was a convicted heroin dealer, rapist and armed robber who claimed Rogerson gave him the "green light" to commit crimes in NSW, while Flannery specialised in contract killing. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Rogerson, McNamara jailed for life for murder of Jamie Gao One of three children, Rogerson grew up in the Sydney suburb of Bankstown (moving there from Bondi at six years old). Rogerson, McNamara 'should be jailed for life' over Gao murder Where things went horribly wrong for Rogerson was his blindness to the array of CCTV cameras that captured their meeting with Gao in the Padstow storage unit, McNab says. In 1984, Duncan McNab was a New South Wales police internal affairs investigator when a deathbed statement from undercover drug cop Michael Drury came across his bosss desk. The comments below have not been moderated. He had been at Merrylands Bowling Club the night Huckstepp was killed, and said he had never told Smith it would be 'best to get rid of Croft'. He is pictured in 1980. He spun off his infamy into a round of after-dinner pub speaking engagements. Rogerson and another former cop, Glen McNamara, were found guilty of shooting Gao inside a west Sydney storage . Now a frail old man, Rogerson's sentencing brings down the curtain on a story that, for better or worse, has written itself into Australia's modern mythology. Train fares will rise by 5.9% TOMORROW - but travellers can still get cheaper tickets if they buy them Will El Salvador's new mega-prison turn into a bloodbath? But the escapade would put to the sword for all time the old coppers cultivated public image as a misunderstood rogue and confirm in the eyes of the law his murderous intent. He also became an entertainer, telling stories of his police activities in a spoken-word stage show called The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, with former Australian footballers Warwick Capper and Mark "Jacko" Jackson. Roger Rogerson - Duncan McNab - Google Books Roger Rogerson, 80, was in Long Bay's aged and frail unit last Wednesday when a prison officer told him his longtime accomplice turned enemy Neddy Smith had died in the jail hospital aged 76. Australian cops 'will die in jail' for cold-blooded drug deal murder of Arthur 'Neddy' Smith - Sydney Crime Museum It would take years for the police to get serious about bringing its shiniest (though far from its only) rotten apple undone. The sentencing of the 75-year-old detective recalls an era of deeply rooted police corruption in Australia, Rogerson rose through the ranks during his career to win 12 commendation awards, Sallie-Anne Huckstep spoke out against Rogerson, who shot dad her drug dealer boyfriend Warren Lanfranchi, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Ex-cops lose drug dealer murder appeal | PerthNow Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Storms threaten north-east United States after tearing through the south, leaving 10 dead. The idea was quite simply the Triad in Hong Kong and their enforcers would not know who Jamie Gao was selling to, so if Jamie Gao disappeared and it was done cleanly and concisely, hed just become a disappeared person.. [13], Rogerson worked on some of the biggest cases of the early 1970s, including the Toecutter Gang Murder and the Whiskey Au Go Go Fire in Brisbane. He did less than other crime bosses to avoid publicity, and was referred to in the media as Mr Big and less often as "Mr Ten Percent". The honeytrap plot that left father-of-six dead: Moment two women lead victim into his flat to seduce him 'Sonic boom' is heard across central England as 'ground shakes' and houses are rocked. "It was the '80s. Rogerson, who. Roger Rogerson leaves a court hearing in 2014. During the Gao trial, McNamara alleged Rogerson confessed to him of complicity in the killings of heroin dealers Alan Williams and Luton Chu, as well as Lanfranchis partner Sallie-Anne Huckstepp. There was a whole coterie of men who liked Roger because Roger could do things for them, McNab says. It was later claimed that Rogerson shot Lanfranchi for robbing a heroin dealer under the detectives police protection. + Follow. Too good a bloke? How Roger Rogerson used 'mesmerising' charm to become Smith is pictured, Rogerson's wife Anne Melocco told Daily Mail Australia her husband had mentioned Smith's death but there had been no celebration or revengeful one-liners. Smith insisted the pair became partners in crime. "It alleged both men were part of a plan to steal drugs from the deceased and kill him," he said. The NSW crown prosecutor, Christopher Maxwell sought for the judge to jail Rogerson and McNamara for life, stating there was no distinction between a contract killing and killing for the purpose of financial gain[30], One detective witness told the Daily Telegraph "it was like tracking the stars of Amateur Hour", regarding the killing of Jamie Gao. They dont reminisce over a cup of tea and a Scotch Finger. On 15 June 2016, Rogerson and McNamara were found guilty of Gao's murder. [24], In 2009, he published an autobiography about his time as a detective, entitled The Dark Side, launched by broadcaster Alan Jones. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Roger Rogerson, a 75-year-old former detective who boasted about killing people and has already served three prison sentences, was on Wednesday found guilty in the death of a student drug dealer. Flannery, known as "Mr Rent-a-Kill", later disappeared. Lennie McPherson. Digging up the past: The gruesome bid to cover up the murder of - 7NEWS Brash and boastful to friends and the media, Rogerson has been involved in a litany of crimes and misadventures which have repeatedly thrust him into the spotlight, and which led to the production of a TV mini-series about him called Blue Murder. A source revealed to McNab that Gaos contact in Hong Kong who helped broker introductions with the Triad later vanished. Rogerson, 75, has taken a job as the prison sweeper, which involves general cleaning duties like emptying bins and mopping floors, at the Kevin Waller Unit for aged and frail inmates. Rogerson was eventually jailed in 1990 for conspiring to pervert the course of justice over the transfer of A$110,000 into bank accounts under false names during the Drury trial. Corrupt cops Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara are contemplating a lifetime behind bars after losing their appeals. "It is clear that the offenders acted with complete disregard for the life of another human being. He was released on appeal after nine months, but in 1992 that appeal was quashed and he was re-imprisoned until 1995. Australia's killer with a badge: Roger Rogerson - BBC News He spent a further three years in jail. But the whiff of suspicion persists that Rogerson had a hand in at least seven others. Putin's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov provokes gales of laughter as he tells audience the West started Find out what Uber drivers really think of you! Rogerson is known to most Australians as a prominent, recurring figure in the country's efforts to eradicate corrupt crime fighters. An aerial view of Long Bay Correctional Centre in Sydney. Smiths loving family and his ex-wife Debra, with whom he has remained friends, have continued to visit him in prison, where the 72-year-old is set to die without being released. It was one of the most high-profile court cases Australia has ever seen - at its conclusion, Rogerson was acquitted. Roger Rogerson - Wikipedia Roger Rogerson, Glen McNamara sentenced to life in jail for - news The distinctive gait we saw on CCTV; the presence that riveted juries in his heyday. Lanfranchi was something of a wild man who shot at police and robbed other dealers, and also a standover man who worked for Sydney gangster Neddy Smith. [38], In 1988 Roger Rogerson told a Bulletin reporter that he and the other lead detectives fabricated evidence. In 1981 came Rogerson's most high profile police killing, the shooting of heroin dealer Warren Lanfranchi in an inner-Sydney alleyway. Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. He and fellow former detectiveGlen McNamara were jailed for life in September 2016 and lost appeals over their convictions in July. Rogerson served twelve months of a maximum two-and-a-half-year sentence. It was a career-defining performance for actor Richard Roxburgh. Rogerson (in handcuffs) is serving life for the murder of 20-year-old drug dealer Jamie Gao. According to Camden, the noted historian of the 16th century, this name Roger was a . In 1999, Rogerson was convicted of perverting the course of justice and lying to the Police Integrity Commission. The new book explores in richer detail the accounts of Rogersons profiteering from crime while a detective, anticipating the pivotal shift in Australian criminal enterprise from armed robberies and safe breaking to drug trafficking. It implicated Roger Rogerson in Drurys attempted execution at the behest of a heroin trafficker. It was a different time. Theres just something horribly wrong with Rogers head. In Blue Murder, Smith is shown murdering Sallie-Anne Huckstepp, although in real life he was charged but acquitted of that murder. Rogerson claimed Lanfranchi was armed and he shot him in self-defence. Justice Bell said although both accused had denied the existenceof a joint criminal enterprise to kill Mr Gao, the Crown had shown the men cooperated to dispose of the body. Rogerson gets jail keyboard at Long Bay jail, Teen feared missing in water at Freshwater Beach. Published Sep 4, 2016. Rogerson, McNamara 'should be jailed for life' over Gao murder, Rogerson, McNamara jailed for life for murder of Jamie Gao, Canberra coach Ricky Stuart slams NRL, RLPA following further concussion controversy, 'How dare they': Possum Magic author hits out at 'ridiculous' Roald Dahl edits, 'Dastardly and heinous crime': Philippines governor killed at home by unknown gunmen, Vanuatu hit by two cyclones and twin earthquakes in two days, Emily was studying law when she had to go to court. Smith and Rogerson - both serving life for murder in Long Bay jail - had known each other 45 years and once formed the most infamous partnership in Australian crime. A three-judge panel of Justice Andrew Bell, JusticeRobert Beech-Jones and Justice Robert Allan Hulme in the NSW Court of Appeal today unanimously dismissed the appeals. Drury spent 12 days in a coma, but survived. "It is clear that the offenders acted with complete disregard for the life of another human being.". Actors Steve Bastoni and Peter Phelps play the roles of Detective Michael Drury, who survived an assassination attempt, and Smith friend Graham Abo Henry. [19], In 2008, Rogerson reviewed episodes of the Underbelly series and Melbourne's underworld war in The Daily Telegraph[23] He also wrote about the 2009 series of Underbelly for the same paper. In May 2014, Rogerson was remanded in prison after being charged, along with fellow former NSW detective Glen McNamara, with the murder of 20-year-old student Jamie Gao, and supply of drugs. Rogerson, now 80, was in Long Bay's aged and frail unit last Wednesday when a prison officer told him 76-year-old Smith had died in the jail hospital. Based on the years before Smith was jailed for life for murder it depicts the armed robber and heroin dealer as a charismatic player on the Sydney scene. It was the type of relationship that had often existed before - Smith . Languishing in Long Bay he was paired with a police informer dubbed Mr Brown who secretly recorded him confessing to a string of 1980s murders, all of which he later denied having committed. Rogerson, 80, and McNamara, 62, were jailed for life in 2016 after being convicted of murdering Jamie Gao in May 2014. Crooks loved him. [11] Rogerson attended Bankstown Central School and later Homebush Boys High School. Roger Rogerson claims he didn't know co-accused bought a gun - 9News That shooting hastened the detective's downfall after Lanfranchi's girlfriend Sallie-Anne Huckstepp publicly stated her lover was meeting Rogerson to pay him a bribe. His sentencing in August will likely be seen as ending an era of deeply rooted police corruption. [20], After leaving the force, Rogerson worked in the building and construction industry as a supplier of scaffolding. In May 2014, Rogerson was remanded in prison after being charged, along with fellow former NSW detective Glen McNamara, with the murder of 20-year-old student Jamie Gao, and supply of drugs. [19], Rogerson was dismissed from the NSW Police Force on 11 April 1986 (had not seen active service since his suspension on 30 November 1984 as a result of the Drury investigation). Rogerson, 75, has taken a job as the prison sweeper, which involves general cleaning duties like emptying bins and mopping floors, at the Kevin Waller Unit for aged and frail inmates. Australia's most corrupt cop Roger Rogerson's makes last ditch attempt He was granted bail but in December the next year was arrested with two others outsideBotany Council preparing to snatch its Christmas payroll drop. Notorious gangster Neddy Smith died aged 76 in Long Bay jail last week while serving a life sentence of murder. He hasn't seen him for however long he's been in jail.'.