Rogerson, who was called to give evidence at the seven murder committals, denied ever taking money off Smith or that Jones had been paying him a bribe. This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 20:08. The surname Rodgerson was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland from ancient times, some say as early as the 11th century. John Ibrahim's secret date with Rogerson. Rogerson is known to most Australians as a prominent, recurring figure in the country's efforts to eradicate corrupt crime fighters. Huckstepp's body was found floating in a pond at Centennial Park in 1986 and Smith would later be charged with murdering the sex worker, with unproven suggestions Rogerson had been involved. Rogerson also used his influencing skills in a multimillion-dollar civil legal dispute while doing consultant work under the auspices of other peoples private investigator licences. Rogerson was acquitted of Drurys shooting, but was convicted of perverting the course of justice over a false bank account. - In 2016, Rogerson was jailed for life for the murder of drug dealer Jamie Gao. His wife Anne Melocco told Daily Mail Australia that Rogerson had mentioned Smith's death but there had certainly been no celebration or revengeful one-liners. 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. Im not the only visitor outside his circle of family and friends. "It alleged both men were part of a plan to steal drugs from the deceased and kill him," he said. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Tim Anderson, one of the three released in 1985, claimed the confession Rogerson extracted was fabricated, and that he and two other members of the Ananda Marga group were convicted in part because of Rogerson's fabrications. "It was open to the sentencing judge to determine that a life sentence should be imposed," he said. 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. An aerial view of Long Bay Correctional Centre in Sydney. He assures me McNamara is the key to his freedom. He was released from Kirkconnell Correctional Centre on 17 February 2006. They also were jailed for stealing 2.78 kilograms of methamphetamine with a street value of up to $19 million from the 20-year-old student. He says McNamara wasnt a hero cop whose career was ruined by his battle against corruption that was a fiction he created. '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. On 15 June 2016, Rogerson and McNamara were found guilty of Gao's murder. Rogerson is in the Kevin Waller Unit for aged and frail prisoners at Long Bay. "Oh it's a little f------ beauty isn't it Oh and by the way, don't tell Roger about this," the witness alleged McNamara said. They have not been seen or heard from since. McNab took it as a measure of the enduring chilling effect of Rogersons reputation. While dealing narcotics he was also pulling off brazen armed robberies worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, Smith, who was once the most infamous crook in Australia, was serving life for murder. Crucially, McNab has produced a remarkable portrayal of Rogersons activities in his twilight years, leading up to the murder of Gao. But it has emerged that neither Rogerson nor McNamara has formally lodged appeals. Glen McNamara (right) is escorted by a correctional services officer as he leaves the NSW Supreme Court in 2016. Huckstepp, a heroin addict and prostitute, appeared on numerous current affairs programs, including 60 Minutes and A Current Affair, demanding an investigation into the shooting. Since joining Smith at Long Bay there have been occasional reports from criminal and police sources of the pair being sighted together which Corrective Services always denied. Had Jamie been a little bit more dexterous in the use of Google he might actually have not gone to that deal, he says. Gao was not the first drug dealer whose life Rogerson had ended with two bullets to the chest. 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. Rogerson's record of killing has led some Australian media outlets to dub him "the serial killer who wore a badge". Rogerson, 80, and McNamara, 62, were jailed for . Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. Rogerson, 76, is incarcerated in the aged and frail unit at Sydneys Long Bay prisons, where his old friend Neddy Smith is also serving a life sentence. All the benefits of simply switching from white to brown - AND how purple, Why is Britain experiencing so many earthquakes? After his latest conviction, he is expected to spend the rest of his life in jail. Australia's most corrupt cop Roger Rogerson launches appeal. It was Smith who in 1981 drove drug dealer Warren Lanfranchi to an appointment with Rogerson at which the policeman shot Lanfranchi dead in a Chippendale lane. Similarities to the true life scenes played out in Sydney and involving the real Roger Rogerson and a body in the ocean in 2014 must have had Blue Murders producers minds reeling. He could get them out of strife with the coppers, he could tell them how the coppers operated, how best to avoid things, the depth of his knowledge. Credit: Daniel Munoz. The Court of Criminal Appeal threw out their cases in Sydney this morning, almost five years after they were jailed for life for murdering Jamie Gao. Test yourself with this Cockney Rhyming Slang quiz. Even after he was booted from the police force in 1986, outed "dog" drug dealer Neddy Smith as his informant and was jailed twice, the man known as Roger the Dodger seemed a Teflon man. Although gun residue was found on Rogerson's clothes, the judge said he couldn't be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of who fired the fatal shot. In 1992 he gave evidence at an Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry into the relationship between police and criminals, implicating Rogerson and others in organised crime. Aw mate, it couldnt be Roger, hes too good a bloke, the boss said. Rogerson gets jail keyboard at Long Bay jail. Given the lead role of Rogerson, brave cop and bad cop rolled into one, Roxburgh played the Roger on the move, taking care of Sydneys most dangerous and violent criminals. Roger Rogerson after being jailed for life in June. Smith (left) is pictured with ex-wife Debra and brothel keeper Harvey Jones, who he was convicted of having murdered in 1983. There was a whole coterie of men who liked Roger because Roger could do things for them, McNab says. Roger Rogerson was a decorated and skilful detective sergeant of the NSW Police Force who worked on some of the 1970s major cases, including the Whiskey Au Go Go fire and the Toecutter gang murder. She went on television and gave extensive interviews about allegedly crooked police, including Rogerson who she claimed murdered Lanfranchi and stole the $10,000 bribe he was carrying to be let off the police shooting. He was utterly charming, very smart, a great conversationalist, witty, with great one-liners, says McNab, a once starry-eyed colleague who remembers how others in the NSW criminal investigation bureau would be drawn to Rogerson and bask in some of that reflected charisma. Lennie McPherson. He said he arranged for it to be handed over to McNamara. [2][3] A new book by former colleague Duncan McNab details how the charismatic one-time detective manipulated generations of fellow officers and gangsters, but when the mask slipped he revealed a vile and vicious criminal. [40], Richard Roxburgh portrayed Rogerson in the 1995 TV mini-series Blue Murder and its 2017 sequel Blue Murder: Killer Cop.[41]. 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. 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. "I was trying to get my life back together, the last thing I needed to do was think about this.". But as McNab now recalls, Rogerson was protected in large part by his aura within the polices own ranks. The jury said I didn't act in self-defence. 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. He spent a further three years in jail. The menacing conversation included an unsuccessful attempt by Rogerson to wound his biographer by recalling the suicide of a colleague whod been involved in a fatal hit and run on a child and to whose parents McNab had to break the news. Blue Murder covers the height of their relationship, which ended with Smith being charged for the murders of (among others) Huckstepp and Harvey Jones and with Rogerson leaving the force. "Oh it's a little f------ beauty isn't it Oh and by the way, don't tell Roger about this," the witness alleged McNamara said. He later joked that the only way to identify Western's bullet-ridden body was by his ingrown toenails. He was part of a drug trafficking ring with notorious paedophiles including Robert Dolly Dunn and bent police. "It was the '80s. But the cool-headed Smith was not impressed with Flannery, who made powerful enemies among Sydney ganglands other factions and police alike. Smith insisted the pair became partners in crime. The unlikely pairing culminated in Gao, through contacts with a Triad gang in Hong Kong, arranging the import of 3kg of ice from mainland China. Rogerson and his second wife Anne Melocco were convicted of lying to the Police Integrity Commission, and this is portrayed in Blue Murder: Killer Cop. "According to the plan McNamara lured the deceased to the storage unit for a drug deal and Rogerson attended supposedly to purchase the drugs. 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". Brisbane's Whiskey Au Go Go fire killed 15 people. CORRUPT cop and convicted killer Roger Rogerson has been working as a prison cleaner at Long Bay since he was jailed for life last year. 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. "It is clear that the offenders acted with complete disregard for the life of another human being. 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. With Smith jailed for life Rogerson took to the speaking circuit for a while, telling wild stories of his days on the force, and wrote a memoir. They did so because, although they 'knew' Stuart and Finch were involved, they had insufficient evidence to convict them. Hes in his mid-60s but Roger misses being on centre stage in the criminal life so hes reconstructing his drug-dealing mates.. DISGRACED ex-cops Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara have been jailed for life for the drug murder of student Jamie Gao. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Rogerson has been in custody since May 2014 for the murder that month of 20-year-old student and wannabe drug dealer Jamie Gao. "I don't know why he said that but I wasn't going to tell Roger anyway because he would have kicked my a--- for touching a gun.". It was an offer I couldnt refuse, and Mrs Rogerson assured me hed be on his best behaviour. He was. His one-time mate Arthur Neddy Smith is across the road in the prison hospital suffering from advanced Parkinsons disease. [28] On the second day, the trial was aborted because of the potential prejudice caused after McNamara's then-barrister Charles Waterstreet made a reference to Rogerson "killing two or three people when he was in the police force. Lawyers for both Rogerson and McNamara indicated they would appeal against the sentence. n is appealing his life sentence, arguing he didn't know Glen McNamara had sourced a gun before the murder. Although gun residue was found on Rogerson's clothes, the judge said he couldn't be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of who fired the fatal shot. There are three known killings directly attributed to Rogerson: Gao and the on duty shootings of Lanfranchi and would-be armed robber Lawrence Byrne in 1977. At the age of 73, Rogerson murdered a 20-year-old university student called Jamie Gao over a 3kg package of crystal meth, a drug deal that became a straight rip-off. Property News:House prices in some school catchments explode by up to $367,000 - domain.com.au, Your web browser is no longer supported. "Extensive in its planning, brutal in its execution and callous in its aftermath," he said. It was a different time. In the following months, the cocaine and booze-fuelled Flannery became increasingly erratic. 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. Rogerson was jailed again in 2005 for 12 months for lying to NSW's Police Integrity Commission about bribing a local council official to obtain work. Roger Rogerson is escorted to a prison van at the Supreme Court in Sydney, Wednesday, 15 June, 2016. CCTV showed both men walking into the storage unit with the drug dealer and at their trial they each blamed theother for killing him. Rogerson and McNamara were found guilty after a four-month trial that showed CCTV footage linking them to the death of Gao, whose body was found floating in a bag in the ocean off Sydney. Detectives have variously described . Drury alleged that Rogerson had tried to bribe him to changes his evidence in the heroin trial of Melbourne dealer Alan Williams. He was released on appeal after nine months, but in 1992 that appeal was quashed and he was re-imprisoned until 1995. "Roger would like to see you," she said. Dont watch it before reading this. So you get that very clear view this was a bloke who was completely and utterly ruthless and self-absorbed and didnt mind who he hurt to get what he wanted.. With Rogerson dismissed from the force in 1986 and Smith's other police friends no longer able to help, he was refused bail and spent the rest of his life in jail. Justice Bell said both accused had run "cut-throat defences". The murder attempt at Drurys Chatswood home makes for dramatic scenes in Blue Murder and the aftermath when Drury almost died from his gunshot wounds. April 2000: He was Australia's most notorious cop.A real-life Dirty Harry who finally crossed the line and finished in jail. 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. Married to his then wife Debra, with whom he had four children, the physically imposing Smith is both a wiley gangster and a big-hearted family man. There was a whole coterie of men who liked Roger because Roger could do things for them, says author Duncan McNab. Fellow detective Michael Drury opens up on Roger Rogerson and 1984 shooting, "He rightly perceived that if the true position was disclosed then it may be suspected that he had concocted or at least moulded his story about providing a pistol to suit Rogerson's interests.". Disgraced detective's last bid for freedom to not die in jail. My view is it started out as a drug deal that became a rip off and at some point in the planning Roger said, well if it doesnt go right, well just top him, end of story, he says. In 1984, undercover policeman Michael Drury was shot in his Sydney home as he fed his young daughter. + Follow. Former detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara have lost their appeals against convictions for the murder of Sydney drug dealer Jamie Gao. Huckstepps media profile blossomed, but she couldnt give up heroin. Flannery, known as "Mr Rent-a-Kill", later disappeared. Behind his brazen public persona, however, lies a dark and deadly history. 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. By Stephen Gibbs for Daily Mail Australia, Published: 08:31 GMT, 13 September 2021 | Updated: 09:09 GMT, 13 September 2021. Rogerson who is now 80, and Glen McNamara, now 62, were jailed for life for the murder of drug dealer Jamie Gao. McNab also reveals the hitherto unknown depth of Rogersons ties with outlaw motorcycle gangs, his close friendship with convicted rapist, kidnapper and Bandido Arthur Loveday among others, as he sought to rekindle drug connections. Rogerson, 79, appeared in the Court of Criminal . 'He did mention that he probably would have been dead long before if he hadn't been in jail but that's about it,' she said, Rogerson and Smith could often be found drinking at inner-city pubs including Alexandria's Star and Iron Duke, the Captain Cook at Millers Point and the Lord Wolseley in Ultimo. Can the dogs of Chernobyl teach us new tricks when it comes to our own survival? 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". We asked the experts - and their answers will terrify you Public Service Announcement, do NOT watch these ads! 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. According to his girlfriend, Sallie-Anne Huckstep, who pursued the matter through the media, Lanfranchi was unarmed and carrying A$10,000 (5,200, $7,350) - money which was never found. Late last year, as Rogerson languished in a cell in the geriatric unit of Sydneys Long Bay jail over the Gao murder, I received a call from his wife Anne. "Because he was (Clint Eastwood's) Dirty Harry," says one veteran reporter. Their relationship hit the skids when Rogerson outed him on television as an informant, and Smith outed Rogerson to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. In late January, 1985 Flannerys family home was sprayed with rounds from a rifle. He had been due to testify in a major drugs trial and alleged that Rogerson offered him a bribe to protect a Melbourne drug dealer. Roger Rogerson: The life and crimes of Australia's most notorious cop. 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? On June 9, 1981, according to Smith, he was ordered by Rogerson to drive Lanfranchi a meeting at Dangar Place, a back lane in the inner city Sydney suburb of Chippendale. Gao's body was later dumped off the coast. All those years later, [for Rogerson] to have that amount of clout, quite spooky.. Both pleaded not guilty in January 2015. Roger Rogerson could not have been written by anyone else. On April 23, 1985 Flannery is said to have been responsible for the gangland shooting of drug dealer Tony Spaghetti Eustace by his gold Mercedes. It was a career-defining performance for actor Richard Roxburgh. 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. Stephen Bear, who starred in several seasons of reality TV shows aired in Australia, has been jailed for 21 months for sharing a sex tape. [16] During the inquest, the coroner found Rogerson was acting in the line of duty, but a jury declined to find he had acted in self-defence. In 2016 after the men were jailed, he met with Rogerson's solicitor Peter Katsoolis and police then began to investigate. The distinctive gait we saw on CCTV; the presence that riveted juries in his heyday. But Justice Bell said the Crown had established a circumstantial case against the men. He will get that chance over coming days. If he did not, Glass speculated, he at least knew who did. Roger Rogerson was the teak-hard. The disgraced ex-policeman and fellow former detective Glen McNamara were found guilty in a Sydney court of murdering 20-year-old Jamie Gao in a storage facility in the city's south-west in May, 2014, during a botched drug deal. Smith said Lanfranchi had asked him to organise a payment to Rogerson so that the dealer wasnt charged with the police shooting. 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. [33] However, Rogerson then lodged an appeal in 2020. The request was for a chat, not an interview. McNamara argued his life sentence was excessive but Justice Bell said it was justified given the murder was a cold-blooded execution. 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. Tony Martin is pictured left playing Smith and Richard Roxburgh as Rogerson in the television series Blue Murder. "I guess I thought about it a lot from the start but I wanted to put it out of my mind," he said. Notorious gangster Neddy Smith died aged 76 in Long Bay jail last week while serving a life sentence of murder. 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. 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. And on free to air, they watched it again. Recorded as Roger, Rodger, Rojer, and the patronymics Rogers, Rodgers, Rodgerson, Rodson, Roddison, Rogerson and others, this is an Anglo-Scottish surname, but one of French origins. 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. Theres a long and sad list and I reckon there would be a few people who have just gone, disappeared, that no one cares about.. Following the shooting, Huckstepp became an anti-police corruption whistleblower. They were photographed by a federal police surveillance unit in the Covent Garden at Chinatown, 'He's never seen him in prison because Neddy was in the hospital and Roger hasn't been there. 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. [8][9] Following a retrial, both Rogerson and McNamara were found guilty of murder. He moved his bashing and murder business to Sydney where he made the big-time, including his failed attempt to murder police officer Mick Drury in June 1984. Drury claims he refused to accept a bribe Rogerson offered in exchange for evidence tampering in a heroin trafficking trial of convicted Melbourne drug dealer Alan Williams. Early Origins of the Rodgerson family. He was granted bail but in December the next year was arrested with two others outsideBotany Council preparing to snatch its Christmas payroll drop. He had the politicians knack about him, the charm to work a room, says McNab. Loose Women star Jane Moore puts her seven-bed Battersea home on the market for 4.5M three months after Are YOU a romantic comedy buff? Property News:House prices in some school catchments explode by up to $367,000 - domain.com.au, Your web browser is no longer supported. , who was shot dead inside a Padstow storage unit in 2014. Its a challenge that will almost certainly elude this once-celebrated detective - who will now likely die in jail. Both are appealing their convictions and life sentences for the. Blue Murder burst onto the screens with scenes of Detective Sergeant Roger Rogerson in a bulletproof vest stalking crims in a line of Sydney traffic with an assault rifle. "I shot Lanfranchi twice, once in the neck and then one in the chest. jailed for life for the murder of drug dealer Jamie Gao. He said he arranged for it to be handed over to McNamara. BLUE Murder was the original true crime TV blockbuster with scenes so shockingly thrilling about the lives of Sydneys cops and gangsters that it was a hit even while it was still banned. As investigations into Rogerson mounted, he was sacked from the police force in 1986 for misconduct. But I suspect there are a lot more, McNab says. Smith insisted the pair became partners in crime. News Limited reported Thursday that police four years ago investigated claims Woodward was killed and buried in sand hills behind a beach south of Sydney. 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. Rogerson (in handcuffs) is serving life for the murder of 20-year-old drug dealer Jamie Gao. Still, it fascinates me that Rogers career was brought to an end by a 20-year-old Asian kid with an education.. To improve your experience, Corrupt cops Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara are contemplating a lifetime behind bars after losing their. "It is clear that the offenders acted with complete disregard for the life of another human being.". Single mother faces 170 parking fine after overstaying at McDonald's for just 14 minutes while she treated Man had sex with his wife on bollard in protest after it had been erected by neighbour to stop him parking What will the next pandemic be? His wife Anne Melocco told Daily Mail. [17][18], Rogerson received a criminal conviction, which was overturned on appeal, for involvement in drug dealing, allegedly conspiring with notorious Melbourne drug dealer Dennis Allen to supply heroin. Drury almost died and the attempted murder changed the course for Roger Rogerson, who Drury claimed sought revenge. Discover your rider rating - how many one-star reviews do Take care of your gut and it will take care of you: Could these 'friendly' bacteria transform your gut Are YOU eating the right colours? But McNab put the project to bed and expected never to write again of Rogerson, presuming the fallen copper would see out his days casting a line over a dinghy and bouncing grandchildren on his lap. Big Sky Publishing. Huckstepp was later murdered, her body found in a pond in Centennial Park, New South Wales. [32] However, neither Rogerson nor McNamara formally lodged appeals, and in July 2019 Rogersons last application for an extension of time to do so was refused by the NSW Supreme Court. It was one of the most high-profile court cases Australia has ever seen - at its conclusion, Rogerson was acquitted. He claimed that he was trying to arrest Lanfranchi for five suspected armed robberies. [21], On 17 February 2005, Rogerson and his wife, Anne Melocco, were convicted of lying to the 1999 Police Integrity Commission. From shooting heroin dealer Warren Lanfranchi in Dangar Place, the now notorious city back lane, to living it up with a violent underworld identity, Rogerson is Blue Murders dramatic focus. Storms threaten north-east United States after tearing through the south, leaving 10 dead. Actors Steve Bastoni and Peter Phelps play the roles of Detective Michael Drury, who survived an assassination attempt, and Smith friend Graham Abo Henry. He was last seen catching a taxi in the city, and never seen alive again. Rogerson and McNamara appealed against their convictions and McNamara also appealed against his sentence. Smith later said that Rogerson ordered him to disarm Lanfranchi en route.