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| Scott Johnson inquest: police beat confessions out of me, says witness | Scott Johnson inquest: police beat confessions out of me, says witness |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A gay-hate basher who claims two policemen beat false confessions out of him in the 1980s has denied giving them a $50,000 bribe, as the third inquest into the death of Scott Johnson came to a dramatic climax. In a further twist, the witness admitted that at least one of the corrupt officers had attended his wedding. | |
| Now in his 40s, the witness confessed to bashing homosexuals when he was a teenager but denied killing Johnson, whose naked body was found at the base of a North Head cliff near Manly on Saturday 10 December 1988. The witness is among a procession of convicted and alleged gay bashers from the Narrabeen area who have denied killing the 27-year-old American. | Now in his 40s, the witness confessed to bashing homosexuals when he was a teenager but denied killing Johnson, whose naked body was found at the base of a North Head cliff near Manly on Saturday 10 December 1988. The witness is among a procession of convicted and alleged gay bashers from the Narrabeen area who have denied killing the 27-year-old American. |
| The last witness denied knowing that North Head had been, like his other hunting grounds, a gay beat where men met for sex. And he could not “recall” ever bashing alongside a Narrabeen local, now dead, identified as a skinhead. | The last witness denied knowing that North Head had been, like his other hunting grounds, a gay beat where men met for sex. And he could not “recall” ever bashing alongside a Narrabeen local, now dead, identified as a skinhead. |
| An informant has told the inquest at the state coroner’s court in Sydney that the skinhead and another local boasted to him about bashing an “American faggot” around Manly or North Head on a Friday night in mid-December 1988. | An informant has told the inquest at the state coroner’s court in Sydney that the skinhead and another local boasted to him about bashing an “American faggot” around Manly or North Head on a Friday night in mid-December 1988. |
| But the final witness, who, like several others, cannot be named, alleged two corrupt police officers, Ray Peattie and David Patison, held him at Manly police station for three days in 1987 and beat a confession “out of me” for a series of gay bashings. | But the final witness, who, like several others, cannot be named, alleged two corrupt police officers, Ray Peattie and David Patison, held him at Manly police station for three days in 1987 and beat a confession “out of me” for a series of gay bashings. |
| Both Peattie and Patison were later kicked out of the police force for corruption. But Peattie – contacted on Friday night – called the claims “bullshit”. | Both Peattie and Patison were later kicked out of the police force for corruption. But Peattie – contacted on Friday night – called the claims “bullshit”. |
| While the witness confirmed his part in three gay attacks around Narrabeen – and finally admitted another at North Sydney under intense cross-examination – he insisted he did not commit other assaults for which he and his friends were convicted. | While the witness confirmed his part in three gay attacks around Narrabeen – and finally admitted another at North Sydney under intense cross-examination – he insisted he did not commit other assaults for which he and his friends were convicted. |
| John Agius, SC, for the Johnson family, asked the witness whether Ray Peattie had attended his wedding. Yes, he confirmed. | John Agius, SC, for the Johnson family, asked the witness whether Ray Peattie had attended his wedding. Yes, he confirmed. |
| Agius asked why he would invite to his wedding anyone who had allegedly beat him up and fixed him up on a false confession. | Agius asked why he would invite to his wedding anyone who had allegedly beat him up and fixed him up on a false confession. |
| “Good question,” the witness said. | “Good question,” the witness said. |
| “It is a good question,” Agius said. “Let’s have a good answer.” | “It is a good question,” Agius said. “Let’s have a good answer.” |
| The witness attempted to explain with several faltering replies: “I forgave him … He apologised … Just did …” | The witness attempted to explain with several faltering replies: “I forgave him … He apologised … Just did …” |
| He couldn’t detail the circumstances of the apology. | He couldn’t detail the circumstances of the apology. |
| And what of Patison, Agius asked? Did he also attend the wedding? “Yeah, I think so,” he said before adding: “I’m not sure … I had about 500 people at my wedding.” | And what of Patison, Agius asked? Did he also attend the wedding? “Yeah, I think so,” he said before adding: “I’m not sure … I had about 500 people at my wedding.” |
| Agius then asked if the witness had paid the police a $50,000 bribe in an attempt to get a lighter sentence. | Agius then asked if the witness had paid the police a $50,000 bribe in an attempt to get a lighter sentence. |
| “I was only a kid,” the witness replied. “How would I be able to pay them?” | “I was only a kid,” the witness replied. “How would I be able to pay them?” |
| Did someone from his family pay them? “No, not that I’m aware of.” | Did someone from his family pay them? “No, not that I’m aware of.” |
| But the witness said he bumped into Peattie when a body was found in the front yard of a nearby home. It was the early 1990s and this was the body of the skinhead, the one well-known around Narrabeen for gay-bashing. | But the witness said he bumped into Peattie when a body was found in the front yard of a nearby home. It was the early 1990s and this was the body of the skinhead, the one well-known around Narrabeen for gay-bashing. |
| “Get out of here,” he said Peattie told him. | “Get out of here,” he said Peattie told him. |
| Agius asked the witness if he ever went “poofter bashing” with the skinhead. “No,” he said, “not that I can recall.” | Agius asked the witness if he ever went “poofter bashing” with the skinhead. “No,” he said, “not that I can recall.” |
| The Guardian could not contact Patison but it put all these allegations to Peattie, who replied: “I’ve got one word for you, mate: bullshit. That’s all I want to say.” | The Guardian could not contact Patison but it put all these allegations to Peattie, who replied: “I’ve got one word for you, mate: bullshit. That’s all I want to say.” |
| In 2002, Peattie was sentenced to four years’ jail for accepting bribes worth $1,600 from other alleged corrupt officers at Manly following raids on the homes of alleged drug dealers. He told the ABC’s Four Corners that he took his first $100 bribe to look the other way when, as a 23-year-old trainee detective, he was on a gambling raid. | In 2002, Peattie was sentenced to four years’ jail for accepting bribes worth $1,600 from other alleged corrupt officers at Manly following raids on the homes of alleged drug dealers. He told the ABC’s Four Corners that he took his first $100 bribe to look the other way when, as a 23-year-old trainee detective, he was on a gambling raid. |
| Patison has confessed to corruption over 15 years as a policeman, including the theft of thousands of dollars found in drug raids. | Patison has confessed to corruption over 15 years as a policeman, including the theft of thousands of dollars found in drug raids. |
| The witness confirmed on Friday that, when he and his mates went to the beats, one of them would act as the “bait” to attract homosexual men for the others to bash. | The witness confirmed on Friday that, when he and his mates went to the beats, one of them would act as the “bait” to attract homosexual men for the others to bash. |
| This detail about the bait was also contained in information that police received from a “community source” in 2013: that members of the same Narrabeen group committed attacks from North Sydney to Reef Beach and toilets at Narrabeen, Balgowlah and Manly – but also at North Head. This year, the source has said some of his information was inaccurate and the assaults and robberies he attributed to North Head either happened at Reef Beach or in a different area of North Head than he showed police. | This detail about the bait was also contained in information that police received from a “community source” in 2013: that members of the same Narrabeen group committed attacks from North Sydney to Reef Beach and toilets at Narrabeen, Balgowlah and Manly – but also at North Head. This year, the source has said some of his information was inaccurate and the assaults and robberies he attributed to North Head either happened at Reef Beach or in a different area of North Head than he showed police. |
| The first inquest into Scott Johnson’s death, early in 1989, agreed with police investigators at the time and found it was suicide. Scott’s brother, Steve, never accepted it and he launched his own investigation in 2005 when Scott’s partner, Michael Noone, alerted him to news of gay-hate murders around the cliffs at Bondi. | The first inquest into Scott Johnson’s death, early in 1989, agreed with police investigators at the time and found it was suicide. Scott’s brother, Steve, never accepted it and he launched his own investigation in 2005 when Scott’s partner, Michael Noone, alerted him to news of gay-hate murders around the cliffs at Bondi. |
| While Noone has come to believe suicide is possible, the Johnson campaign has led to a second inquest and now an extraordinary third coronial inquiry. | While Noone has come to believe suicide is possible, the Johnson campaign has led to a second inquest and now an extraordinary third coronial inquiry. |
| Kristina Stern, SC, counsel assisting state coroner Michael Barnes, accused the witness of lying about the number of crimes for which he was convicted. Having told Stern that he never bashed at North Sydney, he later conceded to Agius that he had been part of that attack. So he had been lying, Agius suggested. | Kristina Stern, SC, counsel assisting state coroner Michael Barnes, accused the witness of lying about the number of crimes for which he was convicted. Having told Stern that he never bashed at North Sydney, he later conceded to Agius that he had been part of that attack. So he had been lying, Agius suggested. |
| “I wouldn’t say lying,” he replied. “I’d say nervous.” He been attempting to block those years from his mind. | “I wouldn’t say lying,” he replied. “I’d say nervous.” He been attempting to block those years from his mind. |
| How hard, Agius asked him, did he think it was for Scott’s family? | How hard, Agius asked him, did he think it was for Scott’s family? |
| The witness agreed, looked towards Steve Johnson and said: “My deepest condolences.” | The witness agreed, looked towards Steve Johnson and said: “My deepest condolences.” |
| It didn’t fly with Johnson, who has come to Sydney from his Boston home one more time, and has been listening to a stream of denials over the past two weeks. He told the Guardian: “I found the final day of testimony especially chilling, including a gesture of condolence by one of the witnesses who had just admitted to habitually bashing gay men for money at the time my brother died.” | It didn’t fly with Johnson, who has come to Sydney from his Boston home one more time, and has been listening to a stream of denials over the past two weeks. He told the Guardian: “I found the final day of testimony especially chilling, including a gesture of condolence by one of the witnesses who had just admitted to habitually bashing gay men for money at the time my brother died.” |