McIver Baths/ Coogee Pool, Sydney - A Gui to the Bt Gay Beach

Contents:

• THE BT LGBTQI + AND GAY BEACH SYDNEY
• ATRALIA HAS LONG HAD A GAY BEACH SUBCULTURE BUT THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN SAFE SPAC
• POLICE ADM BLUNRS GAY-HATE MURR HUNTEXCLUSIVE: BILL ROONEY'S BOYIEND ALWAYS SAID HE WAS MURRED BEE HE WAS GAY. THIRTY YEARS LATER, POLICE REVIEWG DOZENS OF POTENTIAL GAY-HATE KILLGS MANAGED TO REJECT ROONEY'S SE – BEE OF A SIMPLE SLIP OF THE PEN. AN SBS VTIGATN REVEALS EMBARRASSG FLAWS THE POLICE RE-EXAMATN OF THE S.WAYNE DAVIS, RIGHT, WH HIS LATE PARTER WILLIAM ROONEY SOURCE: SBSTHE NSW POLICE FORCE HAS ADMTED S OFFICERS MAY HAVE MA SER MISTAK WHILE RE-EXAMG POTENTIAL GAY-HATE MURRS AMONG A LIST OF 30 UNSOLVED ATHS. AN SBS VTIGATN HAS UNVERED A FAILURE BY POLICE TO CHECK EVEN BASIC TAILS FOR SOME OF THE MEN, RULTG AN ERRONEO ASSSMENT BEG PROVID TO NSW STATE CORONER MICHAEL BARN.IN A CCIAL REVIEW OF THE 30 UNSOLVED S, POLICE DISPENSED WH THE 1986 ATH OF A “WILLIAM RUDNEY” FOUR L, BEGNG: “THERE ARE NO RONIAL RERDS OF A ATH OF A PERSON OF THIS NAME.”BUT THAT IS BEE THE AD MAN’S NAME WAS NOT RUDNEY. IT WAS ROONEY – AND THERE ARE ED RONIAL RERDS FOR A WILLIAM ROONEY.IF POLICE REVIEWG THE S HAD DISVERED THE SPELLG ERROR, THEY MIGHT ALSO HAVE LEARNED THAT SOME DILIGENT TECTIV THE 1980S ME TO DOUBT BILL ROONEY DIED BEE OF A DNKEN FALL A WOLLONGONG LANE, AS PROPOSED BY THEIR POLICE LLEAGU.RATHER, THE TECTIV SPECTED ROONEY WAS MURRED BY A NOTOR SEXUAL SADIST WHO THEY WENT ON TO CHARGE WH BASHG AND RAPG 12 OTHER GAY AND STRAIGHT MEN, CLUDG A HOMOSEXUAL VICTIM WHO RELLED HIS ATTACKER SAYG: “I’LL KILL YOU LIKE I DID THE OTHER POOFTER THE LANEWAY.”THIRTY YEARS LATER, THE BLUNR IS GALLG FOR ROONEY’S PARTNER, FORMER TAFE TEACHER WAYNE DAVIS, WHO ALWAYS SISTED BILL WAS MURRED BEE HE WAS GAY. DAVIS TOLD SBS: “THEY’RE SAYG BILL’S SE DIDN’T EXIST.”HE MATAS HIS BELIEF THAT POLICE “DIDN’T TREAT ALL HUMAN LIFE EQUALLY”, AND THAT HIS NCERNS – ALONG WH ROONEY’S ATH – WERE DISMISSED BEE THEY WERE GAY MEN AN ERA OF WISPREAD HOMOPHOBIA. IT ASTOUNDS DAVIS THAT EVEN CURRENT-DAY POLICE ULDN’T FD ROONEY’S SE. “IT WAS ALL OVER THE NEWSPAPERS.”THE BUNGLE ALSO SHOCKS SUPERTENNT TONY CRANLL, POLICE MANR AT SURRY HILLS AND THE FORCE’S SPOKMAN FOR SEXUALY AND GENR DIVERSY.“OF URSE ALARMS ME,” CRANLL TOLD SBS’S THE FEED. “WE’RE TALKG ABOUT THE ATH OF A HUMAN BEG. THAT SELF LENDS A GREAT AL OF GRAVY TO THE VTIGATOR, AND A GREAT AL OF RPONSIBILY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE’S THOROUGH VTIGATNS NDUCTED.”CRANLL IS OVERSEEG OPERATN PARRABELL, WHICH NE TECTIV HAVE BEEN REVIEWG 88 ATHS OM THE 1970S, 80S AND 90S TO ASSS HOW MANY MIGHT F THE GAY-HATE TEGORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT A HOMOPHOBIC POLICE CULTURE MAY HAVE HRED ANY OF THE ORIGAL VTIGATNS.BUT MOST OF THOSE ATHS WERE SOLVED, OR AT LEAST BROUGHT TO SOME NCLN. THE ERRORS SBS HAS DISVERED NCERN A SUBSET OF THE 88 ATHS: 30 S THAT REMA UNSOLVED. THE MISTAK WERE MA NOT BY OPERATN PARRABELL BUT BY THE UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM. CRANLL SAID HE WAS AWARE THERE WERE “TWO NAM ON A FILE”, RUDNEY AND ROONEY. BUT HE DID NOT KNOW POLICE HAD WRTEN OFF ROONEY’S SE BEE OF THE SLIP OF A PEN – THE SPELLG ERROR – UNTIL HE WAS RMED BY SBS. “I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT, NO.” THIS IS EXTRAORDARY FOR TWO REASONS. AT THE TIME SBS SPOKE TO CRANLL EARLY SEPTEMBER, OPERATN PARRABELL – TABLISHED QUIETLY 2013 AND ONLY PUBLICISED MAY THIS YEAR – HAD JT SIX WEEKS REMAG TO PLETE S REVIEW OF THE 88 ATHS.MORE SIGNIFINTLY, THE HOMICI SQUAD AND S UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM HAD BEEN ALERTED TO THE ROONEY SE LATE MAY THIS YEAR BY FORMER POLICE TECTIVE AND CRIME WRER DUNN MCNAB.SEE MORE ON THIS STORY TONIGHT’S SBS WORLD NEWS, 6.30PM ON SBS AND A FEATURE REPORT ON THE FEED, 7.30PM ON SBS2.MCNAB, WHO HAS BEEN VTIGATG THE “RUDNEY” AFFAIR FOR MONTHS ALONGSI SBS, SENT ROONEY’S RONIAL FILE AND TAILS OF THE POTENTIAL SPECT TO THE HOMICI SQUAD AND S UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM. HE HAND THEM FURTHER DOCUMENTS JULY. IT SEEMS THE MSAGE DID NOT GET THROUGH TO CRANLL. TOLD A RONER’S REPORT ON ROONEY DID EXIST, CRANLL RPOND: “I N'T TELL YOU THAT. I DON'T KNOW THAT. HOWEVER, WH THAT RMATN WE WILL OBVLY LOOK TO BOTH MATTERS, BOTH NAM, AND MAKE THOROUGH QUIRI.”BUT THE NSW POLICE FORCE WAS ALERTED TO THE SPELLG MIX-UP EVEN EARLIER – LATE LAST YEAR. AND ROONEY’S SE WAS AMONG FOUR DISMISSED WH THE SAME EXPLANATN A FEW L, RAISG BROAR QUTNS ABOUT THE LACK OF POLICE CURSY AND EFFORT AT LEAST SOME OF THE UNSOLVED S.STT JOHNSON, THE 27-YEAR-OLD AMERIN WHO WAS FOUND AT THE BASE OF A CLIFF AT NORTH HEAD DECEMBER 1988. SOURCE: SUPPLIEDA POLICE SUMMARY OF EACH OF THE 30 UNSOLVED S WAS NTAED A 439-PAGE REPORT ON THE ATH OF ONE OF THE MEN, STT JOHNSON, LIVERED LAST YEAR TO STATE CORONER BARN.ITS THOR, DETECTIVE CHIEF INSPECTOR PAMELA YOUNG OF THE UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM, LED STRIKE FORCE MAAMIR, A TWO-YEAR RE-VTIGATN OF THE ATH OF JOHNSON. THE 27-YEAR-OLD AMERIN GAY MAN AND MATHEMATICS PRODIGY WAS FOUND NAKED AT THE BASE OF A CLIFF AT NORTH HEAD, NEAR MANLY, DECEMBER 1988.BARN WILL BEG HEARG AN EXTRAORDARY THIRD QUT TO THE JOHNSON SE DECEMBER THIS YEAR. IT FOLLOWS A $1 LN PRIVATE VTIGATN LNCHED BY STEVE JOHNSON, THE BOSTON-BASED BROTHER OF STT, WHO IS NVCED HE WAS PHED, CHASED OR IGHTENED OFF THE CLIFF AMID A SUCCSN OF “POOFTER BASHGS” AND MURRS THE LATE 1980S AND EARLY 1990S.POLICE NOW ACCEPT THE AREA WHERE JOHNSON DIED WAS A GAY BEAT, A PLACE WHERE MEN MET FOR SUAL SEX, ALTHOUGH A SENR OFFICER ADVISED THE FIRST QUT TO THE NTRARY.DETECTIVE CHIEF INSPECTOR YOUNG’S REPORT, HOWEVER, GAVE MOST WEIGHT TO THE ORIGAL THEORY PROPOSED BY POLICE DECEMBER 1988 AND ACCEPTED THREE MONTHS LATER BY THE FIRST CORONER, DERRICK HAND: THAT STT JOHNSON MTED SUICI.THE YOUNG REPORT ALSO REJECTED THE CLASSIFITN OF MOST OF THE 30 UNSOLVED S AS POTENTIAL GAY-HATE CRIM. IT LISTED JT EIGHT THAT POLICE NCLUD WERE “PROBABLE” OR “POSSIBLE”, AND SUGGTED VAR LIKELY OF ATH FOR THE REMAG S, CLUDG SUICI, ACCINT, MISADVENTURE AND MURR WH NO GAY-HATE MOTIVE.YOUNG CRICISED THE WORK OF THE ORIGAL THORS OF THE LIST OF 30 S: SUE THOMPSON, A LAWYER WHO WAS THE POLICE FORCE’S GAY LIAISON -ORDATOR BETWEEN 1990 AND 2002, AND STEPHEN TOMSEN, A PROFSOR OF CRIMOLOGY AT WTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSY.THOMPSON AND TOMSEN HAVE RETURNED FIRE AT THE YOUNG REPORT’S TREATMENT OF THE UNSOLVED S. THEY SAY THERE WAS AN “EPIMIC” OF GAY-HATE KILLGS. BETWEEN THEM, THEY PILED MOST OF THE 88 S NOW UNR REVIEW BY OPERATN PARRABELL.WHEN TO THE MISNAMED WILLIAM RUDNEY, YOUNG’S REPORT SAID A SPREADSHEET PILED BY THOMPSON DITED THE “AMIC” TOMSEN AS THE SOURCE OF THE RMATN ON THIS ATH. “IT IS UNABLE TO BE VERIFIED,” ACRDG TO THE POLICE REPORT.BUT TOMSEN TOLD SBS: “POLICE NEVER DID NTACT ME TO VERIFY ANYTHG ABOUT THIS SE.”HAD THEY LLED TOMSEN, POLICE WOULD HAVE DISVERED THE SPELLG ERROR. IT RULTED OM AN “UNFORTUNATE MISREADG OF MY OWN PENCIL-WRTEN NOT” ON A YEARS-OLD DOCUMENT, TOMSEN NFIRMED. HE SAID HE NTACTED POLICE LATE LAST YEAR TO ALERT THEM TO THE MISTAKE.“I’VE HEARD NOTHG MORE OM THEM,” HE SAID, OTHER THAN AN EMAIL NFIRMG RECEIPT.STEVE JOHNSON, LEFT, HIS LAST PHOTO WH HIS BROTHER STT. HE IS NVCED STT WAS PHED OR CHASED OFF A CLIFF AT NORTH HEAD. SOURCE: SUPPLIEDSBS ASKED CRANLL WHETHER CHECKG WH TOMSEN TO NFIRM HE WAS THE SOURCE OR TO QUIRE ABOUT THE MYSTER WILLIAM RUDNEY WOULD BE NSIRED BASIC POLICE WORK.“WELL,” HE SAID, “I WOULD THK SO.“WILL THAT BE RECTIFIED THROUGH OUR PROCS? Y.”BUT NOBODY EVEN PICKED UP A PHONE TO QUIRE?“OF URSE, YOU WON’T GET ANY DISAGREEMENT OM ME THERE. I WOULD LIKE TO GET ALL THE FACTS TOGETHER. I’M QUE HAPPY TO E BACK TO YOU WHEN I HAVE ALL THOSE FACTS TOGETHER, BUT CERTALY I WON’T S HERE AND FEND AN VTIGATN IF THAT VTIGATN HAS NOT BEEN DONE THOROUGHLY.”BUT “RUDNEY” IS NOT THE ONLY SE WHICH THE SOURCE OF THE RMATN NOMATED WAS “UNABLE TO BE VERIFIED”. THIS REA WAS THE POLICE RPONSE TO ANOTHER THREE OF THE 30 S THE REPORT TO THE STATE CORONER. AND YET, POLICE NTACTED NONE OF THE SOURC LISTED FOR THE THREE, EHER, TO SEEK VERIFITN.PETER SHEIL’S BODY WAS FOUND – WH THE FLY OF HIS TROERS UNDONE – AT THE BASE OF SMALL CLIFF AT SYDNEY’S GORDONS BAY APRIL 1983. AS WH “RUDNEY”, THE POLICE REPORT TO THE STATE CORONER STATED: “THERE ARE NO RONIAL RERDS OF A ATH OF A PERSON OF THIS NAME.” THE THREE-LE ENTRY NTUED: “THE SOURCE TAILS OF MS THOMPSON’S SPREADSHEET DITE THAT THE RMATN IS [OM] A SIBLG OF [THE VICTIM]. THIS IS UNABLE TO BE VERIFIED.”PETER’S BROTHER CHRISTOPHER SHEIL TOLD SBS: “POLICE HAVE NEVER NTACTED TO VERIFY ANYTHG.”THE NCERNS OF CHRISTOPHER, AND OTHER SIBLGS HUGH AND MARGARET, WERE EASILY VERIFIED THREE YEARS AGO BY SBS REPORTER RICK FENELEY, THOR OF THIS STORY, A REPORT FOR FAIRFAX’S GOOD WEEKEND MAGAZE. PETER SHEIL WAS NOT GAY, HIS SIBLGS STRS, BUT HE WAS MENTALLY ILL AND ULD BE GREGAR AND “RECKLS”. THEY BELIEVE IS PLSIBLE HE WAS MISTAKEN AS BEG GAY AS HE WANRED THROUGH A CLIFF-TOP BEAT AFTER LEAVG THE COOGEE BAY HOTEL.'UNABLE TO VERIFY'THE POLICE REPORT TO THE STATE CORONER DISPENSED WH THE ATHS OF TWO OTHER MEN, DAVID WILLIAMS 1979 AND RSELL PAYNE 10 YEARS LATER, WH THE SAME THREE-LE ENTRY AFFORD TO SHEIL. NO RONIAL RERDS EXISTED, SAID. SUE THOMPSON INTIFIED THE SOURCE OF THE RMATN ON WILLIAMS AS A IEND OF THE AD MAN, BUT THIS WAS “UNABLE TO BE VERIFIED” BY POLICE. AND THOMPSON’S SPREADSHEET INTIFIED TOMSEN AS THE SOURCE FOR PAYNE. “UNABLE TO VERIFY,” THE REPORT CLARED.YET AGA, SBS QUIRED WH THE SOURC INTIFIED BY POLICE. THOMPSON AND TOMSEN SAID POLICE HAD NEVER ASKED THEM ABOUT EHER SE. WHILE PAYNE’S ATH IS NOT AMONG THE S THEY REGARD AS THE MOST PELLG WHEN TO EVINCE OF A POTENTIAL GAY-HATE CRIME, THEY STILL EXPECTED THE POLICE EFFORT TO ASSS MIGHT AMOUNT TO MORE THAN THE THREE L.THE NSW POLICE FORCE HAS NOW TOLD SBS THAT HAS FOUND RERDS FOR THE FOUR S SCE THE REPORT WAS HAND TO THE STATE CORONER EARLY LAST YEAR. THE UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM HAS SENT UPDATED RMATN ON SHEIL, WILLIAMS AND PAYNE TO THE STATE CORONER. MORE RMATN ON ROONEY WILL FOLLOW ONCE THE SE HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY OPERATN PARRABELL.SBS ASKED WHEN THE FORCE UPDATED THIS RMATN BUT RECEIVED NO ANSWER. INSTEAD, POLICE ISSUED A FORMAL STATEMENT SAYG SBS HAD OVERLOOKED “CRIL POTS”. IT STRSED THAT “EVINCE RELEASED TO DATE NNECTN WH THE STT JOHNSON QUT DO NOT PROVI A PLETE PICTURE OF VTIGATNS RELATN TO OPERATN PARRABELL”.SCE THE YOUNG REPORT WAS HAND TO THE STATE CORONER LAST YEAR, “FURTHER VTIGATNS HAVE BEEN NDUCTED AND FURTHER EVINCE HAS BEEN PROVID TO THE RONER”.“TH, ’S NOT POSSIBLE TO DRAW NCLNS ABOUT THE OUTE OF THOSE VTIGATNS OR WHETHER OR NOT POLICE HAVE INTIFIED PEOPLE BASED ON DCI YOUNG'S STATEMENT ALONE.”HOWEVER, THE POLICE LAPS WILL EMBARRASS THE FORCE AT A TIME WHEN HAS BEEN AT PAS TO BUILD BRIDG WH THE LGBTI MUNY, NO SMALL PART BY RE-EXAMG THE POTENTIAL GAY-HATE S.CRANLL HAS BEEN AT THE FOREONT OF THAT EFFORT AND HE TOLD SBS THAT OPERATN PARRABELL WAS A SYMBOL OF THE STRIS THE FORCE HAD MA S RELATNSHIP WH THE MUNY. CRANLL WON PLDS OM THE MUNY THIS YEAR WHEN HE APOLOGISED ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE FORCE FOR S TREATMENT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE ARRTED AND BASHED WHILE MARCHG SYDNEY’S FIRST GAY MARDI GRAS 1978.IN 2005, THEN DEPUTY STATE CORONER JACQUELE MILLEDGE NMNED POLICE FOR THEIR “LACKLTRE” AND “SHAMEFUL” VTIGATNS TO MISSG TELEVISN NEWSREAR ROSS WARREN AND BARMAN JOHN RSELL, WHO BOTH DIED ON THE BONDI-TAMARAMA CLIFFS 1989.POLICE ORIGALLY DISMISSED THEIR ATHS AS ACCINTAL FALLS, BUT MILLEDGE – ARMED WH OPERATN TARADALE, A THREE-YEAR VTIGATN TO POSSIBLE GAY-HATE CRIM LED BY THEN HOMICI TECTIVE STEVE PAGE – FOUND THEY WERE MURRED AMID A SPATE OF ATTACKS ON HOMOSEXUAL MEN.WARREN AND RSELL ARE AMONG THE LIST OF 30 UNSOLVED S. POLICE NOW UNT THEM AMONG THE EIGHT THEY ACCEPT WERE LIKELY GAY-HATE CRIM, LABELLG THEIR ATHS “PROBABLE”.‘IT’S AN DITN OF THE SLOPPY WORK THAT’S STILL BEG DONE.’ - FORMER HOMICI TECTIVE STEVE PAGESTEVE PAGE LEFT THE FORCE BEFORE THE NCLN OF THE TARADALE QUT, DURG WHICH HE TOLD A NEWS CREW: “IF WE MANAGED A LOT BETTER BACK THEN [AT THE TIME OF THE MURRS], WE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN GIVG EVINCE BEFORE A RONER. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BEFORE A JURY.”PAGE WAS NOT VOLVED THE ROONEY SE, BUT HE TOLD SBS: “IT’S AN DITN OF THE SLOPPY WORK THAT’S STILL BEG DONE.”PAGE, LIKE SUE THOMPSON, HAS OFFERED ADVICE TO THE JOHNSON FAY AND HE HAS READ THE POLICE REPORT TO THE STATE CORONER ON STT’S ATH. “I’M AWARE OF SEVERAL OTHER EXAMPL OF BREATHTAKGLY SLOPPY POLICE WORK THAT’S NTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT.”DETECTIVE CHIEF SPECTOR YOUNG WAS DUMPED OM THE JOHNSON VTIGATN APRIL LAST YEAR AT THE REQUT OF THE STATE CORONER. BARN WAS WORRIED SHE UNRMED PUBLIC NFINCE HER IMPARTIALY WHEN SHE GAVE AN TERVIEW TO THE ABC'S LATELE ON THE SAME DAY HE ANNOUNCED THE THIRD JOHNSON QUT.IN THAT TERVIEW, YOUNG VOUCHED FOR THE 1988 POLICE VTIGATN AND ACCED FORMER NSW POLICE MISTER MIKE GALLACHER OF “KOWTOWG” TO THE JOHNSON FAY AND PUTTG IMPROPER PRSURE ON POLICE TO GIVE PRRY TO THEIR SE OVER HUNDREDS OF OTHER UNSOLVED ATHS. GALLACHER, A FORMER POLICEMAN, VEHEMENTLY NIED THE ACCATN AND SAID THERE WAS NEVER ANY DIRECTN GIVEN TO POLICE.YOUNG’S REPORT TO THE STATE CORONER REDACTED THE NAM OF 26 OF THE 30 UNSOLVED S THE VERSN OF THE DOCUMENT RELEASED BY THE URT APRIL LAST YEAR, EVEN THOUGH ALL THE S HAD LONG BEEN ON THE PUBLIC RERD AND VOLVED MEN WHO HAD DIED TWO S AGO AND MORE.SBS APPLIED FOR PERMISSN TO PUBLISH ALL OF THE 30 NAM THE NTEXT OF THE POLICE SUMMARI – TO ENSURE THOROUGH VERAGE OF WHAT POLICE AND OTHERS SAY ABOUT EACH SE.THOMPSON AND TOMSEN, MEANWHILE, HAVE HONED THEIR ORIGAL LIST OF 30 UNSOLVED S TO 22 WHICH THEY BELIEVE ARE THE MOST PELLG AND SERVE THE MOST POLICE ATTENTN AS POTENTIAL GAY-HATE MURRS. THE CLU THE EIGHT S ALREADY ACCEPTED BY POLICE.THEY NDUCTED THEIR “NSERVATIVE” REVIEW OF THE 30 S LAST YEAR WH THE HELP OF PETER ROLFE, FOUNR OF THE GROUP SUPPORT AFTER MURR, AND REPRENTATIV OF ACON, THE ANISATN THAT ALS WH THE HEALTH NCERNS OF THE LGBTI MUNY AND HAS LONG MPAIGNED AGAST HATE CRIM.THEY AGREED TO SET ASI S WHICH THE EVINCE OF POTENTIAL ANTI-GAY BIAS WAS LS PELLG. THEY ARE NOT LG THEM OUT – EXCEPT FOR THE KILLG OF A GAY UPLE, WHICH THEY NOW ACCEPT HAD NOTHG TO DO WH GAY HATRED.SBS HAS TABLISHED AN TERACTIVE WEBSE THAT VERS ALL 30 UNSOLVED S, HIGHLIGHTG THEM ACRDG TO FOUR TEGORI: THE EIGHT AGREED BY POLICE; 13 MORE ATHS THAT REMA NTENTN BUT WHICH THOMPSON AND TOMSEN BELIEVE TO BE LIKELY OR POSSIBLE GAY-HATE MURRS; ONE THEY SAY NEEDS FURTHER VTIGATN; AND THE EIGHT LS PELLG S THAT THOMPSON AND TOMSEN HAVE SET ASI.BILL ROONEY’S SE IS AMONG THOSE THEY UNT AS POSSIBLE GAY-HATE MURRS. HIS PARTNER WAYNE DAVIS HOP WILL FALLY GET THE ATTENTN SERV.“I BELIEVE THAT HAD THE POLICE GOT ONTO BILL’S SE OM THE WORD GO, AND TREATED SERLY, THEN THEY MAY WELL HAVE ACTUALLY FOUND THE ASSAILANT… BEE THEY DIDN’T, THE TRAIL WENT LD.”“I WON’T S HERE AND FEND AN VTIGATN IF THAT VTIGATN HAS NOT BEEN DONE THOROUGHLY.” - SUPERTENNT TONY CRANLLASKED IF POLICE WOULD APOLOGISE TO DAVIS AND THE SHEIL FAY, CRANLL WAS RELUCTANT TO DISCS SPECIFIC S, BUT HE DID SAY OPERATN PARRABELL WOULD LOOK AGA AT BOTH ATHS AND MAKE APOLOGI WHERE APPROPRIATE.HE NFIRMED THAT PARRABELL HAS FOUND SOME LAPS THE ORIGAL QUIRI TO SOME OF THE 88 S AND WOULD SEND THEM BACK TO THE UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM FOR RE-VTIGATN. HE EXPECTED SOME S WOULD BE RECLASSIFIED.“MY SENSE IS THAT, Y, THEY WILL BE RECLASSIFIED. IF THERE ARE MISTAK THAT HAVE BEEN MA, THEN OM RIGHT NOW, OM THIS POT HISTORY, WE N RRECT THAT. IF WE N’T THEN WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT’S OCCURRED AND HOPEFULLY AT LEAST GIVE SOME SENSE OF SATISFACTN TO THE MUNY THAT AT LEAST WE’VE DONE WHAT WE N.”OPERATN PARRABELL DO NOT RRY OUT DIVIDUAL VTIGATNS BUT REVIEWS THE QUIRI THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE TIME OF THE ATHS. IT WILL REFER S FOR FURTHER VTIGATN WHENEVER FDS ANY POSSIBILY WAS MOTIVATED BY BIAS AGAST THE VICTIM.CRANLL TOLD SBS THAT PENNT AMICS WOULD BE RECED TO NDUCT A REVIEW OF PARRABELL TO ENSURE IS SCTISED AND THAT S FAL REMENDATNS ARE REFULLY NSIRED.OF BILL ROONEY, CRANLL SAID: “WELL, IF THAT IS BLATANT POLICE ERROR, THEN I THK PARRABELL IS THE OPPORTUNY TO RRECT THAT RERD.”HE ADD: “GIVEN YOU YOURSELF HAVE INTIFIED FICIENCI, I WOULD THK THAT THAT WOULD BE… AN APPROPRIATE SE FOR REFERRAL [TO UNSOLVED HOMICI].”WHAT MSAGE WOULD HE GIVE WAYNE DAVIS?“I WOULD SAY TO WAYNE, IS PERFECTLY NATURAL AND ACCEPTABLE TO HAVE THOSE EXPECTATNS – TO BE GIVEN ANSWERS.“I THK THAT WAYNE HAS PROBABLY WAED FAR TOO LONG FOR THOSE ANSWERS. IT IS THE JOB OF OPERATN PARRABELL TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE EXTENT OF WHETHER THE BIAS CRIME HAS OCCURRED, AND TO HAVE A LOOK AT WHETHER OR NOT THAT VTIGATN IS IMPORTANT OR FLAWED SOME WAY; IF THAT'S THE SE, THEN TO GET THAT VTIGATN RE-VTIGATED.“SO FOR ME, WAYNE'S EXPECTATNS ARE APPROPRIATE AND WHATEVER WE N DO TO MAKE HIS EXPECTATNS E TO UN, WE OUGHT TO DO.”DO YOU KNOW MORE? GET TOUCH WH THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERETHE FIRST TIME WAYNE DAVIS WENT TO THE GAY MARDI GRAS SYDNEY, 1982, HE MET A STSMAN LLED BILL ROONEY. “HE WAS GOOD LOOKG; HE WAS TELLIGENT; HE WAS FUN,” DAVIS TOLD SBS AN TERVIEW AT HIS HOME A SUBURB SOUTH OF WOLLONGONG.ROONEY MOVED TO THE STEEL CY TO LIVE WH DAVIS AND THEY WERE PARTNERS FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. “BILL CHANGED MY LIFE A LOT OF WAYS THAT, WHILST I WAS NEVER CLOSETED AS A GAY MAN, HE HELPED ME TO FD MY TE INTY.”ON THE MORNG OF FEBARY 14, 1986, ROONEY WAS FOUND – BLOODIED AND WH HEAD JURI, BUT STILL ALIVE – BEHD A SHOP OFF CROWN LANE, WOLLONGONG. ROONEY WAS 32 AND DAVIS WAS A 31-YEAR-OLD TAFE TEACHER.DAVIS DIDN’T LEARN OF THE EMERGENCY UNTIL THAT EVENG. ROONEY HAD BEEN OUT DRKG THE PREV NIGHT AND HADN’T E HOME. DAVIS HAD GONE LOOKG FOR HIM THAT DAY AT THEIR REGULAR BARS. HE RETURNED HOME WH A UPLE OF BEERS AND SAT DOWN ONT OF THE EVENG NEWS. AND THERE ON THE SCREEN WAS BILL, NO MISTAKE. HE WAS BEG TAKEN AWAY AN AMBULANCE.DAVIS SHED TO WOLLONGONG HOSPAL. IT BEME CLEAR ROONEY WASN’T GOG TO SURVIVE. APART OM HIS HORRIFIC HEAD JURI, DAVIS OBSERVED A BISE ON ROONEY’S RIGHT CHT “WH THE CLEAR IMPRT OF A FIST”.DAVIS WENT OM THE HOSPAL TO THE POLICE STATN, WHERE AS MANY AS “EIGHT PLA-CLOTH POLICE WERE SQUEEZED LIKE SARD TO A SMALL ROOM”.“ONE OF THEM ASKED, ‘WHO IS BILL’S GIRLIEND? WHO IS HIS WIFE?’ I EXPLAED HE WAS GAY, THAT I WAS HIS PARTNER. SIX OF THE POLICE STANTLY FILED OUT OF THE ROOM, SHAKG THEIR HEADS.”HE ATTRIBUT THE RPONSE TO AIDS STIGMA AT THE TIME.“YOU’VE GOT TO REALISE THAT AT THE TIME THE HIV/AIDS PROBLEM HAD REALLY BEE QUE SER. THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT YOU ULD TCH AIDS BY JT BEG ASSOCIATED WH A GAY MAN.”SIX DAYS LATER, DAVIS AGREED TO SWCH OFF ROONEY’S LIFE SUPPORT.A 30-YEAR MYSTERY ... WAYNE DAVIS WH HIS ONLY PICTURE OF PARTNER BILL ROONEY, WHO HE BELIEV WAS MURRED BEE HE WAS GAY. SOURCE: SBSDAVIS REMEMBERS POLICE AT FIRST STG SOME SPICN ON HIM. WHILE THE IAL POLICE REPORT TO THE RONER SAID THERE WERE “SPIC CIRCUMSTANC”, AN VTIGATG TECTIVE WOULD ADVISE THAT HE BELIEVED ROONEY FELL ACCINTALLY WHILE TOXITED.THERE HAD BEEN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS NNG TO THE REAR OF THE SHOP WHERE ROONEY WAS FOUND, BUT TENSIVE RE DOCTOR MASON RAMSAY TOLD THE LOL RONER THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THE MASSIVE SKULL ACTUR, FOCED ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD, ULD BE EASILY EXPLAED BY AN ACCINTAL FALL.“HIS CEREBELLUM HAD STARTED TO E AWAY OM HIS CEREBRAL RTEX,” DAVIS SAID.CORONER WARWICK SON MA AN OPEN FDG, NCLUDG THAT “WHETHER SUCH JURI WERE RECEIVED ACCINTALLY OR OTHERWISE, THE EVINCE DO NOT ALLOW ME TO SAY”.DAVIS MA HIS OWN NCLN: MURR. “THERE WERE A SERI OF ATTACKS ON GAY MEN WH THE AREA, BOTH BEFORE BILL WAS MURRED AND AFTER BILL WAS MURRED, SO WE KNEW SOMETHG WAS GOG ON.”HE SAID HE HAD HIS OWN THEORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.“WELL, THOSE DAYS RELATNSHIPS WERE OPEN. OURS WAS CERTALY AN OPEN RELATNSHIP. I BELIEVE 'S POSSIBLE THAT HE MET SOMEONE WHO TOOK HIS FANCY AND SORT OF [WENT] OFF WH THEM [TO] HAVE SEX.“I BELIEVE THAT HE WAS LURED THERE BY SOMEONE AND THEY BASILLY ASSLTED HIM… AND H HIM OVER THE BACK OF THE HEAD WH A HEAVY BLUNT OBJECT.”FOUR YEARS LATER, DAVIS WROTE A LETTER ADDRSED TO SUE THOMPSON, THEN H HER JOB AS THE POLICE FORCE’S GAY LIAISON -ORDATOR. IT WAS PUBLISHED THE GAY NEWSPAPER SYDNEY STAR OBSERVER.“DEAR SUE, I WISH TO EXPRS MY APPRECIATN OF THE WORK UNRTAKEN BY DETECTIVE SERGEANT DAVID ASWORTH OF WOLLONGONG DETECTIV RELATN TO A SERI OF GAY BASHGS THAT OCCURRED THE WOLLONGONG AREA OVER RECENT YEARS,” DAVIS WROTE. “THE FIRST VICTIM OF THE BASHER (OR BASHERS) WAS MY PARTNER, WILLIAM (BILL) ANTONY ROONEY.”BUT HIS LETTER SAID: “THE TREATMENT I RECEIVED OM THE [OTHER] POLICE DURG THE URSE OF THEIR VTIGATNS WAS, TO SAY THE LEAST, FAR OM SYMPATHETIC. I WAS OF THE IMPRSN THAT AS A GAY MAN I WAS A LSER HUMAN BEG AND THAT BILL’S ATH DIDN’T MATTER BEE HE WAS GAY.“IN THE QUT TO BILL’S ATH I WAS LEFT WH THE DISTCT IMPRSN THAT THE POLICE WERE ATTEMPTG TO SECURE A VERDICT OF ‘DEATH BY MISADVENTURE’. MANY OF BILL’S IENDS RISTED THIS APPROACH.“IN THE LIGHT OF ALL OF THIS DETECTIVE SERGEANT ASWORTH NTUED TO VTIGATE …”SERI OF ATTACKSASWORTH, WHO HAS SCE RETIRED, DID NOT WISH TO BE TERVIEWED FOR THIS STORY.HOWEVER, CRIME THOR MCNAB HAS TABLISHED THAT ASWORTH WAS AMONG A GROUP OF TECTIV WHO DID NOT BUY THE ACCINTAL FALL THEORY. DPE STCTNS OM THEIR SUPERRS TO DROP – BEE WAS NOT THEIR SE – THEY KEPT ASKG QUTNS.THEY WERE ALARMED TO DISVER THAT THE POLICE FIRST ON THE SCENE HAD NOT SECURED THE AREA. BY THE TIME TECTIV AND SCIENTIFIC VTIGATORS ARRIVED LS THAN AN HOUR LATER, SOMEONE HAD HOSED DOWN. MOST OF THE BLOOD AND PHYSIL EVINCE WAS GONE.ASWORTH AND HIS LLEAGU ALSO HEARD OM ONE OF THE AMBULANCE OFFICERS WHO HAD HELPED ROONEY. THE OFFICER REPORTED THE FLY TO ROONEY’S TROERS WAS OPEN. BUT THERE WAS NO MENTN OF THIS THE POLICE REPORTS; NOR WAS ROONEY EXAMED FOR EVINCE OF SEXUAL ASSLT.LS THAN THREE WEEKS AFTER ROONEY’S ATH, A 21-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO HAD BEEN OUT DRKG WAS FOUND WH SEVERE HEAD JURI WOLLONGONG ON MARCH 8, 1986. MCNAB HAS OUTLED THE SE HIS FORTHG BOOK, GETTG AWAY WH MURR: “A MEDIL EXAMATN, ORRED BY A THOROUGH TECTIVE, FOUND THE MAN HAD JURI TO HIS AN ‘NSISTENT WH A SEXUAL ASSLT’.”THIS WAS AMONG 12 ASSLTS ON YOUNG MEN, ALL WH SIAR MOD OPERANDI, REPORTED OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. SOMETIM THE ATTACKER WOULD STRIKE THE VICTIM ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD WH A ROCK. OFTEN HE ORRED THE MEN TO PULL DOWN THEIR TROERS. HE WOULD PERFORM ORAL SEX ON THEM OR MAND BE PERFORMED ON HIM. HE ROBBED SOME OF THEM. IN MOST S HE RAPED THEM. HE FOUND AT LEAST TWO OF HIS VICTIMS AT A WOLLONGONG GAY BEAT, MACCABE PARK, ALTHOUGH HE ALSO ATTACKED STRAIGHT MEN.BASED ON A SCRIPTN OM THE 12TH VICTIM, SEPTEMBER 1989, POLICE ARRTED 24-YEAR-OLD MARK ANTONY SCERRI AND CHARGED HIM WH 29 OFFENC AGAST ALL 12 MEN, THOUGH NOT NNECTN WH ROONEY’S ATH. THE CHARG CLUD ATTEMPTED MURR, KIDNAPPG, SEXUAL ASSLT, FLICTG GRIEVO BODILY HARM AND ROBBERY.IN 1991, SCERRI WAS FOUND NOT GUILTY ON TWO ASSLT AND ONE ROBBERY CHARG, WHILE THE PROSECUTN DROPPED 15 OTHER CHARG. BUT THE PROSECUTN WAS NARROWED TO THREE VICTIMS AND – AFTER THE FIRST JURY FAILED TO REACH A VERDICT – SCERRI WAS NVICTED ON FEBARY 20, 1993, SEVEN YEARS TO THE DAY AFTER BILL ROONEY’S LIFE SUPPORT WAS SWCHED OFF.“SEX MONSTER GETS 16 YEARS,” CRIED THE ONT-PAGE HEADLE  THE ILLAWARRA MERCURY.FRONT-PAGE NEWS ... WAYNE DAVIS WH HIS PLEA THE ILLAWARRA MERCURY FOR RMATN ABOUT HIS PARTNER, BILL ROONEY'S ATH. SOURCE: SBSDETECTIV LATER VISED SCERRI JAIL TO QUTN HIM ABOUT THE 1986 ATH OF ROONEY. ACRDG TO THEIR RERDS, HE TOLD THEM: ‘’YOU N STICK UP YOUR ARSE. GET F---ED. F--- OFF.’’A SENR CROWN PROSECUTOR TOLD THE TECTIV WHAT THEY ALREADY KNEW. THEY DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH EVINCE TO PUT SCERRI ONT OF A JURY FOR MURRG ROONEY.AMONG THE 12 VICTIMS ASSOCIATED WH SCERRI’S FIRST TRIAL WERE TWO GAY MEN WHO HAD GONE TO MACCABE PARK 1986 HOPE OF FDG A SEXUAL PARTNER. ONE OF THEM ALLEGED HE AGREED TO GO WH SCERRI TO STUART PARK NEAR THE BEACH AT NORTH WOLLONGONG. WHEN THE MAN BEGAN TO PERFORM ORAL SEX, HE CLAIMED, SCERRI LNCHED A BTAL ASSLT AND REPEATEDLY RAPED HIM. “HE SAID TO ME, ‘I’LL KILL YOU LIKE I DID THE OTHER POOFTER THE LANEWAY’. ”THE MAN WENT TO POLICE THAT NIGHT AND THEY TOLD HIM TO GO TO HOSPAL. WHEN THEY SENT TECTIV TO QUTN HIM, HOWEVER, HE CHOSE NOT TO GIVE A STATEMENT “AS I WAS EMBARRASSED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED”. IT WAS ONLY WHEN HE SAW SCERRI’S PICTURE THE MERCURY ALMOST THREE YEARS LATER THAT HE WENT TO POLICE.IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT SCERRI WAS NOT, THE END, NVICTED OF THIS ALLEGED BEACH-SI ASSLT OR CHARGED OVER ROONEY’S ATH. BUT HELPS EXPLA WHY HE BEME A PERSON OF TERT THE ROONEY SE, AT LEAST FOR THE TECTIV WHO WERE NVCED THE STSMAN WAS MURRED.OF THE THREE ASSLT VICTIMS FOR WHOM SCERRI WAS TRIED AND NVICTED, ONE HAD CHATTED WH HIM OUTSI PIPS INTERNATNAL NIGHTCLUB CROWN LANE, WOLLONGONG, SEPTEMBER 1989. THEY WALKED UP THE LANE TOGETHER TO A R PARK, WHERE SCERRI BEAT THE MAN OVER THE HEAD WH A ROCK AND RAPED HIM. IT WAS METR OM WHERE ROONEY WAS FOUND 1986.SCERRI SERVED HIS TIME. HE WAS RELEASED OM JAIL NOVEMBER 2001. WH SIX MONTHS, HE STCK AGA. HE SEIZED A YOUNG MAN LEAVG ANOTHER WOLLONGONG NIGHTCLUB, PNED HIM TO THE GROUND, PUNCHED HIM, PULLED HIS TROERS DOWN AND PERFORMED ORAL SEX. THE VICTIM PED. POLICE ARRTED SCERRI AND FOUND TRAC OF HIS DNA ON THE VICTIM.A SEXUAL SADIST, ACRDG TO ONE PSYCHIATRIC REPORT, SCERRI PLEAD GUILTY TO THE ATTACK. HE WENT BACK TO JAIL AND WAS RELEASED 2011. BY NOW BILL ROONEY HAD BEEN AD 25 YEARS.“ROONEY’S SE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN A SO-LLED ‘GAY-HATE’ MURR,” MCNAB SAID. “BUT BEGS THE QUTN: DID POLICE GIVE HIS ATH LS ATTENTN THAN SERVED BEE HE WAS GAY?”‘IF BILL WAS A STRAIGHT MAN, THEY WOULD HAVE PULLED OUT ALL STOPS TO TRY AND FD OUT WHAT HAPPENED.’ - BILL ROONEY’S PARTNER, WAYNE DAVISTHAT REMAS THE BTER MEMORY OF WAYNE DAVIS, BUT HE WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL TO THE RETIRED TECTIVE. “I FOUND DAVID ASWORTH TO BE EXCEPTNALLY RG, LIKE HE WAS VERY PROFSNAL. HE WANTED TO DO HIS JOB.”OF THE OTHER POLICE, DAVIS BELIEV DISCRIMATN HAMPERED THE SE. “IF BILL WAS A STRAIGHT MAN, THEY WOULD HAVE PULLED OUT ALL STOPS TO TRY AND FD OUT WHAT HAPPENED,” HE SAID.“I WOULDN’T SAY THAT I’M ANGRY. I’D SAY I’M SAD… THAT THEY DON’T TREAT HUMAN LIFE EQUALLY.”HOMICI TECTIVE STEVE PAGE WAS LEFT WH SIAR IMPRSNS ABOUT LAPS POLICE DILIGENCE WHEN HE NDUCTED OPERATN TARADALE, A THREE-YEAR RE-VTIGATN OF THE BASHGS, ATHS AND DISAPPEARANC OF GAY MEN AROUND THE BONDI-TAMARAMA CLIFFS AND THE MARKS PARK BEAT.PAGE’S OPERATN LED TO A 2005 RONIAL FDG THAT NMNED THE “LACKLTRE” AND “SHAMEFUL” IAL POLICE NCLNS THAT ROSS WARREN AND JOHN RSELL FELL ACCINTALLY TO THEIR ATHS 1989 OM THE CLIFFS SKIRTG THE MARKS PARK GAY BEAT.JACQUELE MILLEDGE, THE DEPUTY STATE CORONER 2005, LED THAT RSELL WAS THROWN TO HIS ATH, WARREN WAS MURRED, AND MISSG GAY FRENCHMAN GILL MATTAI – WHILE SHE ULD NOT LE ON THE E OF ATH – MAY HAVE MET A SIAR FATE 1985.THE UNSOLVED ATHS OF WARREN, RSELL AND MATTAI ARE NOW AMONG THE EIGHT THAT POLICE ACCEPT AS POSSIBLE GAY-HATE S. EACH BEME THE SUBJECT OF A $100,000 REWARD FOR RMATN RELATG TO THEIR KILLERS LAST YEAR. AT THE TIME, VLENT GANGS OF YOUTHS WERE AMONG THE CULPRS OF “POOFTER BASHG” SPRE. THEY FOUND EASY TARGETS BY ROAMG GAY BEATS, TYPILLY PARKS OR PUBLIC TOILETS WHERE HOMOSEXUAL MEN MET FOR SUAL AND ANONYMO SEX.THEY REGULARLY BASHED WH IMPUNY AS VICTIMS REFED TO REPORT ASSLTS BEE THEY DID NOT WANT TO “E OUT” AS GAY, DID NOT WANT TO ADM THEY ATTEND BEATS, OR DID NOT TST THE POLICE. HOMOSEXUAL SEX WAS NOT CRIMALISED NSW UNTIL 1984.MCNAB, HIMSELF GAY, SAID THE POLICE CULTURE WOULD HAVE ACTIVELY DISURAGED PEOPLE OM REPORTG HATE CRIM.“SYDNEY WAS A BLOODY DANGERO SPOT IF YOU HAPPENED TO BE A GAY MAN. THERE ARE HORROR STORI OF MEN WHO’D GONE TO A POLICE STATN TO REPORT BEG BASHED ONLY TO BE TAKEN TO THE CELLS AND BE BASHED FOR REPORTG A BASHG. THE POLICE CULTURE OF THAT PERD STANK.”HE STRSED THE FORCE WAS NOT ALL BAD, AND THERE WERE MANY GOOD POLICE WHO WERE NOT HOMOPHOBIC.STEVE PAGE, WHO LEFT THE FORCE BEFORE THE NCLN OF THE MILLEDGE QUT, TOLD SBS: “YOU HAVE TO ASK, WOULD POLICE HAVE BEEN SO DISMISSIVE OF THE ATHS HAD THE VICTIMS BEEN ANY OTHER GROUP OF CIZENS – LET’S SAY DOCTORS, SCHOOL TEACHERS, WOMEN OR CHILDREN?”MCNAB SAID THAT “SOME VERY NSCIENT TECTIV BELIEVED – UNLIKE THEIR POLICE LLEAGU” THAT ROONEY WAS MURRED.“AND WHAT WE CERTALY KNOW IS THAT POLICE, MORE THAN THREE S LATER, ULD NOT EVEN FD A RERD OF ROONEY’S ATH – BEE THEY WERE LOOKG FOR THE WRONG NAME.“WHETHER OR NOT WAS ‘GAY-HATE’ MURR, WAS VERY POSSIBLY A MURR. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT BILL ROONEY DIDN’T GET JTICE AFTER HIS ATH, AND HE’S NOT GETTG NOW,” HE SAID.“IT’S AN SULT TO HIS MEMORY THAT POLICE ULDN’T EVEN BE BOTHERED TO PICK UP THE PHONE – NOT, APPARENTLY, TO LL THE CRIMOLOGIST STEPHEN TOMSEN TO ASK, ‘HEY, WHO IS THIS WILLIAM RUDNEY GUY? WE N’T FD HIM.’ OR NOT TO LL THEIR LLEAGU WOLLONGONG AND ASK, ‘DID YOU HAVE ANY S 1986 THAT MIGHT MATCH THIS?’ I MEAN, WOLLONGONG IS HARDLY THE MURR PAL OF THE WORLD. IT WOULDN’T HAVE TAKEN TOO LONG TO SN THROUGH THE S THAT MIGHT F.“I N ONLY HOPE OPERATN PARRABELL FALLY GETS RIGHT.”SUPERTENNT TONY CRANLL, OVERSEEG THAT OPERATN, WANTS TO “RRECT THAT RERD”.CROWN LANE, WOLLONGONG ... METR OM WHERE BILL ROONEY WAS FOUND WH SEVERE HEAD JURI 1986.PICTURE: DAVE MAY SOURCE: SBSWHEN FIRST ASKED IF HE WAS AWARE OF THE SPELLG MIX-UP, CRANLL SAID: “I'M AWARE THAT THERE WERE ACTUALLY TWO NAM ON A FILE. BUT I'M NOT AWARE AS TO WHY THAT WAS, WHETHER THAT WAS AN ALIAS OR AN ERROR OM THE VTIGATOR. I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT, NO.”AND WAS HE AWARE THAT THERE WAS A RONIAL REPORT FOR WILLIAM ROONEY, IF NOT FOR A WILLIAM RUDNEY? “I N'T TELL YOU THAT. I DON'T KNOW THAT.”HE PLEDGED TO LOOK AGA AT THE SE AND TO SEND BACK TO THE UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM.“WE’RE TALKG ABOUT THE ATH OF A HUMAN BEG. I HAD SOME TIME THE HOMICI SQUAD. I KNOW THE PTH OF QUIRY – WHAT’S REQUIRED,” HE SAID.WAYNE DAVIS IS RIGNED: “I WILL GO TO MY GRAVE WH UNROLVED GRIEF.”BUT HE SAID: “I’M TELLG THE STORY NOW BEE I DON’T THK WE LEARN OUR LSONS IF WE FET OUR PAST. AND I THK EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE JTICE THAT WAS METED OUT TO GAY MEN AND I SPECT LBIANS DURG THAT PERD.”ANOTHER CLIFF ATHSUPERTENNT TONY CRANLL AND THE EIGHT TECTIV WORKG FOR HIM ON OPERATN PARRABELL ARE YET TO NTACT THE FAY OF PETER SHEIL.PETER WAS 29 WHEN HIS BODY WAS FOUND AT THE BASE OF A LOW CLIFF AT GORDONS BAY, NORTH OF COOGEE, APRIL 1983. THE FLY OF HIS TROERS WAS UNDONE, ACRDG TO ONE OF PETER’S BROTHERS, CHRISTOPHER SHEIL.HIS FATHER, NOW AD, SETTLED THE SE WH A POLICE OFFICER. THE PAIR ARRIVED AT THE NCLN OF MISADVENTURE AFTER AN “QUIRY” THAT LASTED “ALL OF ABOUT A MUTE”.NONE OF THIS TAIL IS NTAED THE POLICE NOT ON SHEIL’S ATH, WHICH IS AMONG THE 30 S THEY HAVE SUMMARISED FOR THE STATE CORONER FOR THE UPG THIRD QUT TO STT JOHNSON’S FATAL FALL AT NORTH HEAD 1988. IN LS THAN THREE L, POLICE STATE: “THERE ARE NO RONIAL RERDS OF A ATH OF A PERSON OF THIS NAME.”CHRISTOPHER SHEIL REMEMBERS WHY. HE WAS 27 WHEN HE WNSED THE EXCHANGE BETWEEN HIS FATHER AND THE POLICE OFFICER. HE SAID HE PROTTED: “WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER HE JUMPED, FELL OR WAS PHED.” TO WHICH HIS FATHER HAD REPLIED: “AH, WE’RE NOT GUNNA GO TO ANY OF THAT.”PETER SHEIL WAS FOUND AT THE BASE OF A CLIFF AT SYDNEY'S GORDONS BAY 1983. SOURCE: SUPPLIEDPETER SHEIL BATTLED MENTAL ILLNS, BUT HIS MOTHER, NOW AD, ALWAYS SISTED HE WAS NOT PRSED OR SUICIDAL WHEN HE LLED HER ABOUT 8PM TO SAY HE WOULD WALK HOME OM THE COOGEE BAY HOTEL. HE WALKED NORTH VIA THE SEA-CLIFFS PATH, WHICH HAPPENED TO PASS GAY BEATS WHERE MEN MET FOR SEX.PETER’S SIBLGS ARE ADAMANT THEIR BROTHER WAS NOT GAY. “BUT HE WAS MENTALLY ILL AND HE ULD BE VERY GREGAR,” SAYS CHRISTOPHER. “AND HE WAS RECKLS. IT'S PLSIBLE THAT HE WAS MISTAKEN FOR BEG GAY WHILE WALKG THROUGH A GAY BEAT – THAT HE WAS ATTACKED FOR THAT REASON.”BACK AT THE CLIFFS AT GORDONS BAY, CHRISTOPHER REMEMBERS HIS BROTHER."HE WROTE EXTRAORDARY POETRY. IT WAS A WAY TO ATTRACT THE GIRLS.”POLICE ACCEPT THAT A PERSON NEED NOT BE GAY TO BE THE VICTIM OF A GAY-HATE ATTACK. ASSAILANTS MIGHT WRONGLY ASSUME A HETEROSEXUAL MAN IS GAY, PARTICULARLY IF HE IS PASSG THROUGH A GAY BEAT.THE SIBLGS ALSO ACCEPT IS POSSIBLE PETER FELL ACCINTALLY TO HIS ATH. HAD HE STEPPED OFF THE PATH TO URATE, THEN FALLEN OM THE CLIFF? MIGHT THAT EXPLA THE OPEN FLY ON HIS PANTS?BUT THE CLIFF EDGE HE WENT TO, MUCH LOWER THAN OTHERS NEARBY, WAS QUE A DOWNHILL SCRAMBLE FORM THE OCEAN PATH, AND PETER WAS CLOSE TO HIS HOSTEL BY THAT TIME. THE FAY HAS RRECTED AN EARLIER REPORTED RELLECTN THAT PETER WAS FOUND WH HIS PANTS REMOVED.IT WAS MORE THAN A DAY BEFORE A FISHERMAN FOUND HIS BODY.THE SHEILS’ MOTHER WAS A VOUT CATHOLIC AND DID NOT WANT TO UNTENANCE SUICI, BUT CHRISTOPHER SAYS: "WE N'T LE OUT THE POSSIBILY THAT HE FELL OR THAT HE JUMPED TO HIS ATH. HE WAS MENTALLY DISTURBED."BUT IF YOU NSIR THE LOWNS OF THE CLIFF WHERE HIS BODY WAS FOUND, AND THE MUCH HIGHER CLIFFS NEARBY THAT HE ULD HAVE CHOSEN IF SUICI WAS HIS TENTN, WE THK THAT'S THE LEAST LIKELY EXPLANATN."THE POT, HE SAYS, IS THAT POLICE DID NOTHG TO TABLISH THE FACTS ABOUT HIS BROTHER’S  ATH.LEAVG THE CLIFF WHERE PETER SPENT HIS LAST MOMENTS ALIVE, CHRISTOPHER SAYS: “WE WANT THE TTH. BUT WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER TO KNOW – THAT YOUR BROTHER FELL, JUMPED OR WAS PHED TO HIS ATH? IT’S HARD. WHAT VERSN OF THE TTH DO YOU REALLY WANT?”NONE OF THE POLICE REVIEWG THE UNSOLVED ATHS – NEHER UNSOLVED HOMICI NOR THE CURRENT OPERATN PARRABELL – HAS EVER NTACTED THE SHEILS TO DISCS ANY OF THE POSSIBILI.SUPERTENNT TONY CRANLL TOLD SBS: “LET ME SAY THIS – IF QUIRI OM PARRABELL SHOW THAT THERE'S BEEN AN APPROPRIATE VTIGATN, AN VTIGATN SUBSTANDARD… THEN I'M HAPPY TO NTACT THOSE PEOPLE BEE PARRABELL IS ALSO ABOUT GIVG PEOPLE SOME PEACE OF MD.”THERE WILL BE APOLOGI POTENTIALLY?“POTENTIALLY. ABSOLUTELY.”TO THE SHEIL FAY? TO BILL ROONEY’S PARTNER, WAYNE DAVIS?“WELL, I N'T SAY ON THAT PARTICULAR SE,” CRANLL SAID. “BUT I N SAY THAT WE HAVE APOLOGISED THE PAST. I DON'T SEE WHY, IF WE HAVE NOT DONE A THOROUGH VTIGATN, WE WOULD NOT DO SO ANY EVENT. WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF MY REVIEW IF I'M NOT GOG TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHERE THE SHORTGS ARE AND, IF THERE ARE SHORTGS, APOLOGISE.”OPERATN PARRABELL HAS ONLY A FEW WEEKS LEFT TO N.“THE LGBTI MUNY HAS BEEN MARGALISED FOR A LONG TIME,” CRANLL SAID. “I REALLY THK THAT WE ARE MOVG FORWARD TOGETHER. THIS, TO ME, OPERATN PARRABELL PARTICULAR, IS A SYMBOL OF BEG ABLE TO MOVE TOGETHER FORWARD AND REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE RRECT HISTORY WHEREVER WE N.“WE CLARIFY THE HISTORIL POSN WHEREVER WE N SO THAT WE N ENGENR SOME SORT OF TST TOGETHER," HE SAID.  “WE N'T POLICE UNLS WE HAVE THE MUNY SUPPORT OF , AND I'M TALKG ABOUT THE MAJORY OF THE MUNY. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT’S NECSARILY BEEN THE SE WH THE LGBTI MUNY OVER THE YEARS, BUT I CERTALY THK WE'RE MOVG THE RIGHT DIRECTN NOW.”THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED TO CLU NEW RMATN OM THE NSW POLICE FORCE.SBS’S FEATURE DOCUMENTARY DEEP WATER - THE REAL STORY, AIRS SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER, 8.30PM ON SBS. SHAREFOLLOW THE FEEDFACEBOOKTWTERSTAGRAMYOUTUBETHROUGH AWARD WNG STORYTELLG, THE FEED BREAKS NEW GROUND WH S PELLG MIX OF CURRENT AFFAIRS, EDY, PROFIL AND VTIGATNS. SEE DIFFERENT. KNOW BETTER. LGH HARR. READ MORE ABOUT THE FEEDWATCH NOWHAVE A STORY OR MENT? CONTACT USTHROUGH AWARD WNG STORYTELLG, THE FEED BREAKS NEW GROUND WH S PELLG MIX OF CURRENT AFFAIRS, EDY, PROFIL AND VTIGATNS. SEE DIFFERENT. KNOW BETTER. LGH HARR.WATCH NOWFOLLOW THE FEEDFACEBOOKTWTERSTAGRAMYOUTUBE35 M READPUBLISHED 26 SEPTEMBER 2016 9:57AMUPDATED 4 OCTOBER 2016 10:43AMBY PATRICK ABBOUD, RICK FENELEYTAGSCRIMESYDNEYSHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHAREREMEND FOR YOU
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”Steve Johnson would return to Atralia several tim, doggedly termed to prove his brother uld not have killed the way, Steve and a team of supporters and vtigators would learn of chillgly siar aths other astal of young men were turng up at the bottom of cliffs, not only at Blue Fish Pot where Stt had been found, but at another betiful astal spot the harbour cy’s the men simply vanished, their bodi never to be found, at a place lled Marks Park, which the 1980s was a killg ground for a gang of youths aged as young as 15 huntg gay Stt Johnson died, he had left his cloth neatly fold at the top of Blue Fish Pot. “Took off his cloth, laid down, and so somebody probably walked up to Stt while he was there and proposed sex, proposed somethg, ” Steve told Atralian began vtigatg whether Blue Fish Pot, like Marks Park, was a known as a beat among Sydney’s gay muny.

Homosexualy was only crimalised Atralia the two s between the start of the 1970s and the end of the 1980s, up to 88 gay men Sydney’s east and metro areas were documented to have disappeared spic circumstanc, or were the victims of 1985, 27-year-old French natnal Gill Mattai was livg was last seen walkg along the astal walkg track at Tamarama on September 15 that year by a neighbour.

ATRALIA HAS LONG HAD A GAY BEACH SUBCULTURE BUT THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN SAFE SPAC

Between 1989 and 1999 around 46 known gay hate murrs took place New South Wal, many of them still one month alone 1990, 38 gay-related beatgs were reported to Surry Hills or Kgs Cross 2000, rpondg to pleas om fai of the murred or missg, NSW Police reopened thoands of s and took more than 400 2002, they prented a brief to then-Deputy State Coroner Jacquele Milledge.

POLICE ADM BLUNRS GAY-HATE MURR HUNTEXCLUSIVE: BILL ROONEY'S BOYIEND ALWAYS SAID HE WAS MURRED BEE HE WAS GAY. THIRTY YEARS LATER, POLICE REVIEWG DOZENS OF POTENTIAL GAY-HATE KILLGS MANAGED TO REJECT ROONEY'S SE – BEE OF A SIMPLE SLIP OF THE PEN. AN SBS VTIGATN REVEALS EMBARRASSG FLAWS THE POLICE RE-EXAMATN OF THE S.WAYNE DAVIS, RIGHT, WH HIS LATE PARTER WILLIAM ROONEY SOURCE: SBSTHE NSW POLICE FORCE HAS ADMTED S OFFICERS MAY HAVE MA SER MISTAK WHILE RE-EXAMG POTENTIAL GAY-HATE MURRS AMONG A LIST OF 30 UNSOLVED ATHS. AN SBS VTIGATN HAS UNVERED A FAILURE BY POLICE TO CHECK EVEN BASIC TAILS FOR SOME OF THE MEN, RULTG AN ERRONEO ASSSMENT BEG PROVID TO NSW STATE CORONER MICHAEL BARN.IN A CCIAL REVIEW OF THE 30 UNSOLVED S, POLICE DISPENSED WH THE 1986 ATH OF A “WILLIAM RUDNEY” FOUR L, BEGNG: “THERE ARE NO RONIAL RERDS OF A ATH OF A PERSON OF THIS NAME.”BUT THAT IS BEE THE AD MAN’S NAME WAS NOT RUDNEY. IT WAS ROONEY – AND THERE ARE ED RONIAL RERDS FOR A WILLIAM ROONEY.IF POLICE REVIEWG THE S HAD DISVERED THE SPELLG ERROR, THEY MIGHT ALSO HAVE LEARNED THAT SOME DILIGENT TECTIV THE 1980S ME TO DOUBT BILL ROONEY DIED BEE OF A DNKEN FALL A WOLLONGONG LANE, AS PROPOSED BY THEIR POLICE LLEAGU.RATHER, THE TECTIV SPECTED ROONEY WAS MURRED BY A NOTOR SEXUAL SADIST WHO THEY WENT ON TO CHARGE WH BASHG AND RAPG 12 OTHER GAY AND STRAIGHT MEN, CLUDG A HOMOSEXUAL VICTIM WHO RELLED HIS ATTACKER SAYG: “I’LL KILL YOU LIKE I DID THE OTHER POOFTER THE LANEWAY.”THIRTY YEARS LATER, THE BLUNR IS GALLG FOR ROONEY’S PARTNER, FORMER TAFE TEACHER WAYNE DAVIS, WHO ALWAYS SISTED BILL WAS MURRED BEE HE WAS GAY. DAVIS TOLD SBS: “THEY’RE SAYG BILL’S SE DIDN’T EXIST.”HE MATAS HIS BELIEF THAT POLICE “DIDN’T TREAT ALL HUMAN LIFE EQUALLY”, AND THAT HIS NCERNS – ALONG WH ROONEY’S ATH – WERE DISMISSED BEE THEY WERE GAY MEN AN ERA OF WISPREAD HOMOPHOBIA. IT ASTOUNDS DAVIS THAT EVEN CURRENT-DAY POLICE ULDN’T FD ROONEY’S SE. “IT WAS ALL OVER THE NEWSPAPERS.”THE BUNGLE ALSO SHOCKS SUPERTENNT TONY CRANLL, POLICE MANR AT SURRY HILLS AND THE FORCE’S SPOKMAN FOR SEXUALY AND GENR DIVERSY.“OF URSE ALARMS ME,” CRANLL TOLD SBS’S THE FEED. “WE’RE TALKG ABOUT THE ATH OF A HUMAN BEG. THAT SELF LENDS A GREAT AL OF GRAVY TO THE VTIGATOR, AND A GREAT AL OF RPONSIBILY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE’S THOROUGH VTIGATNS NDUCTED.”CRANLL IS OVERSEEG OPERATN PARRABELL, WHICH NE TECTIV HAVE BEEN REVIEWG 88 ATHS OM THE 1970S, 80S AND 90S TO ASSS HOW MANY MIGHT F THE GAY-HATE TEGORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT A HOMOPHOBIC POLICE CULTURE MAY HAVE HRED ANY OF THE ORIGAL VTIGATNS.BUT MOST OF THOSE ATHS WERE SOLVED, OR AT LEAST BROUGHT TO SOME NCLN. THE ERRORS SBS HAS DISVERED NCERN A SUBSET OF THE 88 ATHS: 30 S THAT REMA UNSOLVED. THE MISTAK WERE MA NOT BY OPERATN PARRABELL BUT BY THE UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM. CRANLL SAID HE WAS AWARE THERE WERE “TWO NAM ON A FILE”, RUDNEY AND ROONEY. BUT HE DID NOT KNOW POLICE HAD WRTEN OFF ROONEY’S SE BEE OF THE SLIP OF A PEN – THE SPELLG ERROR – UNTIL HE WAS RMED BY SBS. “I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT, NO.” THIS IS EXTRAORDARY FOR TWO REASONS. AT THE TIME SBS SPOKE TO CRANLL EARLY SEPTEMBER, OPERATN PARRABELL – TABLISHED QUIETLY 2013 AND ONLY PUBLICISED MAY THIS YEAR – HAD JT SIX WEEKS REMAG TO PLETE S REVIEW OF THE 88 ATHS.MORE SIGNIFINTLY, THE HOMICI SQUAD AND S UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM HAD BEEN ALERTED TO THE ROONEY SE LATE MAY THIS YEAR BY FORMER POLICE TECTIVE AND CRIME WRER DUNN MCNAB.SEE MORE ON THIS STORY TONIGHT’S SBS WORLD NEWS, 6.30PM ON SBS AND A FEATURE REPORT ON THE FEED, 7.30PM ON SBS2.MCNAB, WHO HAS BEEN VTIGATG THE “RUDNEY” AFFAIR FOR MONTHS ALONGSI SBS, SENT ROONEY’S RONIAL FILE AND TAILS OF THE POTENTIAL SPECT TO THE HOMICI SQUAD AND S UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM. HE HAND THEM FURTHER DOCUMENTS JULY. IT SEEMS THE MSAGE DID NOT GET THROUGH TO CRANLL. TOLD A RONER’S REPORT ON ROONEY DID EXIST, CRANLL RPOND: “I N'T TELL YOU THAT. I DON'T KNOW THAT. HOWEVER, WH THAT RMATN WE WILL OBVLY LOOK TO BOTH MATTERS, BOTH NAM, AND MAKE THOROUGH QUIRI.”BUT THE NSW POLICE FORCE WAS ALERTED TO THE SPELLG MIX-UP EVEN EARLIER – LATE LAST YEAR. AND ROONEY’S SE WAS AMONG FOUR DISMISSED WH THE SAME EXPLANATN A FEW L, RAISG BROAR QUTNS ABOUT THE LACK OF POLICE CURSY AND EFFORT AT LEAST SOME OF THE UNSOLVED S.STT JOHNSON, THE 27-YEAR-OLD AMERIN WHO WAS FOUND AT THE BASE OF A CLIFF AT NORTH HEAD DECEMBER 1988. SOURCE: SUPPLIEDA POLICE SUMMARY OF EACH OF THE 30 UNSOLVED S WAS NTAED A 439-PAGE REPORT ON THE ATH OF ONE OF THE MEN, STT JOHNSON, LIVERED LAST YEAR TO STATE CORONER BARN.ITS THOR, DETECTIVE CHIEF INSPECTOR PAMELA YOUNG OF THE UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM, LED STRIKE FORCE MAAMIR, A TWO-YEAR RE-VTIGATN OF THE ATH OF JOHNSON. THE 27-YEAR-OLD AMERIN GAY MAN AND MATHEMATICS PRODIGY WAS FOUND NAKED AT THE BASE OF A CLIFF AT NORTH HEAD, NEAR MANLY, DECEMBER 1988.BARN WILL BEG HEARG AN EXTRAORDARY THIRD QUT TO THE JOHNSON SE DECEMBER THIS YEAR. IT FOLLOWS A $1 LN PRIVATE VTIGATN LNCHED BY STEVE JOHNSON, THE BOSTON-BASED BROTHER OF STT, WHO IS NVCED HE WAS PHED, CHASED OR IGHTENED OFF THE CLIFF AMID A SUCCSN OF “POOFTER BASHGS” AND MURRS THE LATE 1980S AND EARLY 1990S.POLICE NOW ACCEPT THE AREA WHERE JOHNSON DIED WAS A GAY BEAT, A PLACE WHERE MEN MET FOR SUAL SEX, ALTHOUGH A SENR OFFICER ADVISED THE FIRST QUT TO THE NTRARY.DETECTIVE CHIEF INSPECTOR YOUNG’S REPORT, HOWEVER, GAVE MOST WEIGHT TO THE ORIGAL THEORY PROPOSED BY POLICE DECEMBER 1988 AND ACCEPTED THREE MONTHS LATER BY THE FIRST CORONER, DERRICK HAND: THAT STT JOHNSON MTED SUICI.THE YOUNG REPORT ALSO REJECTED THE CLASSIFITN OF MOST OF THE 30 UNSOLVED S AS POTENTIAL GAY-HATE CRIM. IT LISTED JT EIGHT THAT POLICE NCLUD WERE “PROBABLE” OR “POSSIBLE”, AND SUGGTED VAR LIKELY OF ATH FOR THE REMAG S, CLUDG SUICI, ACCINT, MISADVENTURE AND MURR WH NO GAY-HATE MOTIVE.YOUNG CRICISED THE WORK OF THE ORIGAL THORS OF THE LIST OF 30 S: SUE THOMPSON, A LAWYER WHO WAS THE POLICE FORCE’S GAY LIAISON -ORDATOR BETWEEN 1990 AND 2002, AND STEPHEN TOMSEN, A PROFSOR OF CRIMOLOGY AT WTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSY.THOMPSON AND TOMSEN HAVE RETURNED FIRE AT THE YOUNG REPORT’S TREATMENT OF THE UNSOLVED S. THEY SAY THERE WAS AN “EPIMIC” OF GAY-HATE KILLGS. BETWEEN THEM, THEY PILED MOST OF THE 88 S NOW UNR REVIEW BY OPERATN PARRABELL.WHEN TO THE MISNAMED WILLIAM RUDNEY, YOUNG’S REPORT SAID A SPREADSHEET PILED BY THOMPSON DITED THE “AMIC” TOMSEN AS THE SOURCE OF THE RMATN ON THIS ATH. “IT IS UNABLE TO BE VERIFIED,” ACRDG TO THE POLICE REPORT.BUT TOMSEN TOLD SBS: “POLICE NEVER DID NTACT ME TO VERIFY ANYTHG ABOUT THIS SE.”HAD THEY LLED TOMSEN, POLICE WOULD HAVE DISVERED THE SPELLG ERROR. IT RULTED OM AN “UNFORTUNATE MISREADG OF MY OWN PENCIL-WRTEN NOT” ON A YEARS-OLD DOCUMENT, TOMSEN NFIRMED. HE SAID HE NTACTED POLICE LATE LAST YEAR TO ALERT THEM TO THE MISTAKE.“I’VE HEARD NOTHG MORE OM THEM,” HE SAID, OTHER THAN AN EMAIL NFIRMG RECEIPT.STEVE JOHNSON, LEFT, HIS LAST PHOTO WH HIS BROTHER STT. HE IS NVCED STT WAS PHED OR CHASED OFF A CLIFF AT NORTH HEAD. SOURCE: SUPPLIEDSBS ASKED CRANLL WHETHER CHECKG WH TOMSEN TO NFIRM HE WAS THE SOURCE OR TO QUIRE ABOUT THE MYSTER WILLIAM RUDNEY WOULD BE NSIRED BASIC POLICE WORK.“WELL,” HE SAID, “I WOULD THK SO.“WILL THAT BE RECTIFIED THROUGH OUR PROCS? Y.”BUT NOBODY EVEN PICKED UP A PHONE TO QUIRE?“OF URSE, YOU WON’T GET ANY DISAGREEMENT OM ME THERE. I WOULD LIKE TO GET ALL THE FACTS TOGETHER. I’M QUE HAPPY TO E BACK TO YOU WHEN I HAVE ALL THOSE FACTS TOGETHER, BUT CERTALY I WON’T S HERE AND FEND AN VTIGATN IF THAT VTIGATN HAS NOT BEEN DONE THOROUGHLY.”BUT “RUDNEY” IS NOT THE ONLY SE WHICH THE SOURCE OF THE RMATN NOMATED WAS “UNABLE TO BE VERIFIED”. THIS REA WAS THE POLICE RPONSE TO ANOTHER THREE OF THE 30 S THE REPORT TO THE STATE CORONER. AND YET, POLICE NTACTED NONE OF THE SOURC LISTED FOR THE THREE, EHER, TO SEEK VERIFITN.PETER SHEIL’S BODY WAS FOUND – WH THE FLY OF HIS TROERS UNDONE – AT THE BASE OF SMALL CLIFF AT SYDNEY’S GORDONS BAY APRIL 1983. AS WH “RUDNEY”, THE POLICE REPORT TO THE STATE CORONER STATED: “THERE ARE NO RONIAL RERDS OF A ATH OF A PERSON OF THIS NAME.” THE THREE-LE ENTRY NTUED: “THE SOURCE TAILS OF MS THOMPSON’S SPREADSHEET DITE THAT THE RMATN IS [OM] A SIBLG OF [THE VICTIM]. THIS IS UNABLE TO BE VERIFIED.”PETER’S BROTHER CHRISTOPHER SHEIL TOLD SBS: “POLICE HAVE NEVER NTACTED TO VERIFY ANYTHG.”THE NCERNS OF CHRISTOPHER, AND OTHER SIBLGS HUGH AND MARGARET, WERE EASILY VERIFIED THREE YEARS AGO BY SBS REPORTER RICK FENELEY, THOR OF THIS STORY, A REPORT FOR FAIRFAX’S GOOD WEEKEND MAGAZE. PETER SHEIL WAS NOT GAY, HIS SIBLGS STRS, BUT HE WAS MENTALLY ILL AND ULD BE GREGAR AND “RECKLS”. THEY BELIEVE IS PLSIBLE HE WAS MISTAKEN AS BEG GAY AS HE WANRED THROUGH A CLIFF-TOP BEAT AFTER LEAVG THE COOGEE BAY HOTEL.'UNABLE TO VERIFY'THE POLICE REPORT TO THE STATE CORONER DISPENSED WH THE ATHS OF TWO OTHER MEN, DAVID WILLIAMS 1979 AND RSELL PAYNE 10 YEARS LATER, WH THE SAME THREE-LE ENTRY AFFORD TO SHEIL. NO RONIAL RERDS EXISTED, SAID. SUE THOMPSON INTIFIED THE SOURCE OF THE RMATN ON WILLIAMS AS A IEND OF THE AD MAN, BUT THIS WAS “UNABLE TO BE VERIFIED” BY POLICE. AND THOMPSON’S SPREADSHEET INTIFIED TOMSEN AS THE SOURCE FOR PAYNE. “UNABLE TO VERIFY,” THE REPORT CLARED.YET AGA, SBS QUIRED WH THE SOURC INTIFIED BY POLICE. THOMPSON AND TOMSEN SAID POLICE HAD NEVER ASKED THEM ABOUT EHER SE. WHILE PAYNE’S ATH IS NOT AMONG THE S THEY REGARD AS THE MOST PELLG WHEN TO EVINCE OF A POTENTIAL GAY-HATE CRIME, THEY STILL EXPECTED THE POLICE EFFORT TO ASSS MIGHT AMOUNT TO MORE THAN THE THREE L.THE NSW POLICE FORCE HAS NOW TOLD SBS THAT HAS FOUND RERDS FOR THE FOUR S SCE THE REPORT WAS HAND TO THE STATE CORONER EARLY LAST YEAR. THE UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM HAS SENT UPDATED RMATN ON SHEIL, WILLIAMS AND PAYNE TO THE STATE CORONER. MORE RMATN ON ROONEY WILL FOLLOW ONCE THE SE HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY OPERATN PARRABELL.SBS ASKED WHEN THE FORCE UPDATED THIS RMATN BUT RECEIVED NO ANSWER. INSTEAD, POLICE ISSUED A FORMAL STATEMENT SAYG SBS HAD OVERLOOKED “CRIL POTS”. IT STRSED THAT “EVINCE RELEASED TO DATE NNECTN WH THE STT JOHNSON QUT DO NOT PROVI A PLETE PICTURE OF VTIGATNS RELATN TO OPERATN PARRABELL”.SCE THE YOUNG REPORT WAS HAND TO THE STATE CORONER LAST YEAR, “FURTHER VTIGATNS HAVE BEEN NDUCTED AND FURTHER EVINCE HAS BEEN PROVID TO THE RONER”.“TH, ’S NOT POSSIBLE TO DRAW NCLNS ABOUT THE OUTE OF THOSE VTIGATNS OR WHETHER OR NOT POLICE HAVE INTIFIED PEOPLE BASED ON DCI YOUNG'S STATEMENT ALONE.”HOWEVER, THE POLICE LAPS WILL EMBARRASS THE FORCE AT A TIME WHEN HAS BEEN AT PAS TO BUILD BRIDG WH THE LGBTI MUNY, NO SMALL PART BY RE-EXAMG THE POTENTIAL GAY-HATE S.CRANLL HAS BEEN AT THE FOREONT OF THAT EFFORT AND HE TOLD SBS THAT OPERATN PARRABELL WAS A SYMBOL OF THE STRIS THE FORCE HAD MA S RELATNSHIP WH THE MUNY. CRANLL WON PLDS OM THE MUNY THIS YEAR WHEN HE APOLOGISED ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE FORCE FOR S TREATMENT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE ARRTED AND BASHED WHILE MARCHG SYDNEY’S FIRST GAY MARDI GRAS 1978.IN 2005, THEN DEPUTY STATE CORONER JACQUELE MILLEDGE NMNED POLICE FOR THEIR “LACKLTRE” AND “SHAMEFUL” VTIGATNS TO MISSG TELEVISN NEWSREAR ROSS WARREN AND BARMAN JOHN RSELL, WHO BOTH DIED ON THE BONDI-TAMARAMA CLIFFS 1989.POLICE ORIGALLY DISMISSED THEIR ATHS AS ACCINTAL FALLS, BUT MILLEDGE – ARMED WH OPERATN TARADALE, A THREE-YEAR VTIGATN TO POSSIBLE GAY-HATE CRIM LED BY THEN HOMICI TECTIVE STEVE PAGE – FOUND THEY WERE MURRED AMID A SPATE OF ATTACKS ON HOMOSEXUAL MEN.WARREN AND RSELL ARE AMONG THE LIST OF 30 UNSOLVED S. POLICE NOW UNT THEM AMONG THE EIGHT THEY ACCEPT WERE LIKELY GAY-HATE CRIM, LABELLG THEIR ATHS “PROBABLE”.‘IT’S AN DITN OF THE SLOPPY WORK THAT’S STILL BEG DONE.’ - FORMER HOMICI TECTIVE STEVE PAGESTEVE PAGE LEFT THE FORCE BEFORE THE NCLN OF THE TARADALE QUT, DURG WHICH HE TOLD A NEWS CREW: “IF WE MANAGED A LOT BETTER BACK THEN [AT THE TIME OF THE MURRS], WE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN GIVG EVINCE BEFORE A RONER. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BEFORE A JURY.”PAGE WAS NOT VOLVED THE ROONEY SE, BUT HE TOLD SBS: “IT’S AN DITN OF THE SLOPPY WORK THAT’S STILL BEG DONE.”PAGE, LIKE SUE THOMPSON, HAS OFFERED ADVICE TO THE JOHNSON FAY AND HE HAS READ THE POLICE REPORT TO THE STATE CORONER ON STT’S ATH. “I’M AWARE OF SEVERAL OTHER EXAMPL OF BREATHTAKGLY SLOPPY POLICE WORK THAT’S NTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT.”DETECTIVE CHIEF SPECTOR YOUNG WAS DUMPED OM THE JOHNSON VTIGATN APRIL LAST YEAR AT THE REQUT OF THE STATE CORONER. BARN WAS WORRIED SHE UNRMED PUBLIC NFINCE HER IMPARTIALY WHEN SHE GAVE AN TERVIEW TO THE ABC'S LATELE ON THE SAME DAY HE ANNOUNCED THE THIRD JOHNSON QUT.IN THAT TERVIEW, YOUNG VOUCHED FOR THE 1988 POLICE VTIGATN AND ACCED FORMER NSW POLICE MISTER MIKE GALLACHER OF “KOWTOWG” TO THE JOHNSON FAY AND PUTTG IMPROPER PRSURE ON POLICE TO GIVE PRRY TO THEIR SE OVER HUNDREDS OF OTHER UNSOLVED ATHS. GALLACHER, A FORMER POLICEMAN, VEHEMENTLY NIED THE ACCATN AND SAID THERE WAS NEVER ANY DIRECTN GIVEN TO POLICE.YOUNG’S REPORT TO THE STATE CORONER REDACTED THE NAM OF 26 OF THE 30 UNSOLVED S THE VERSN OF THE DOCUMENT RELEASED BY THE URT APRIL LAST YEAR, EVEN THOUGH ALL THE S HAD LONG BEEN ON THE PUBLIC RERD AND VOLVED MEN WHO HAD DIED TWO S AGO AND MORE.SBS APPLIED FOR PERMISSN TO PUBLISH ALL OF THE 30 NAM THE NTEXT OF THE POLICE SUMMARI – TO ENSURE THOROUGH VERAGE OF WHAT POLICE AND OTHERS SAY ABOUT EACH SE.THOMPSON AND TOMSEN, MEANWHILE, HAVE HONED THEIR ORIGAL LIST OF 30 UNSOLVED S TO 22 WHICH THEY BELIEVE ARE THE MOST PELLG AND SERVE THE MOST POLICE ATTENTN AS POTENTIAL GAY-HATE MURRS. THE CLU THE EIGHT S ALREADY ACCEPTED BY POLICE.THEY NDUCTED THEIR “NSERVATIVE” REVIEW OF THE 30 S LAST YEAR WH THE HELP OF PETER ROLFE, FOUNR OF THE GROUP SUPPORT AFTER MURR, AND REPRENTATIV OF ACON, THE ANISATN THAT ALS WH THE HEALTH NCERNS OF THE LGBTI MUNY AND HAS LONG MPAIGNED AGAST HATE CRIM.THEY AGREED TO SET ASI S WHICH THE EVINCE OF POTENTIAL ANTI-GAY BIAS WAS LS PELLG. THEY ARE NOT LG THEM OUT – EXCEPT FOR THE KILLG OF A GAY UPLE, WHICH THEY NOW ACCEPT HAD NOTHG TO DO WH GAY HATRED.SBS HAS TABLISHED AN TERACTIVE WEBSE THAT VERS ALL 30 UNSOLVED S, HIGHLIGHTG THEM ACRDG TO FOUR TEGORI: THE EIGHT AGREED BY POLICE; 13 MORE ATHS THAT REMA NTENTN BUT WHICH THOMPSON AND TOMSEN BELIEVE TO BE LIKELY OR POSSIBLE GAY-HATE MURRS; ONE THEY SAY NEEDS FURTHER VTIGATN; AND THE EIGHT LS PELLG S THAT THOMPSON AND TOMSEN HAVE SET ASI.BILL ROONEY’S SE IS AMONG THOSE THEY UNT AS POSSIBLE GAY-HATE MURRS. HIS PARTNER WAYNE DAVIS HOP WILL FALLY GET THE ATTENTN SERV.“I BELIEVE THAT HAD THE POLICE GOT ONTO BILL’S SE OM THE WORD GO, AND TREATED SERLY, THEN THEY MAY WELL HAVE ACTUALLY FOUND THE ASSAILANT… BEE THEY DIDN’T, THE TRAIL WENT LD.”“I WON’T S HERE AND FEND AN VTIGATN IF THAT VTIGATN HAS NOT BEEN DONE THOROUGHLY.” - SUPERTENNT TONY CRANLLASKED IF POLICE WOULD APOLOGISE TO DAVIS AND THE SHEIL FAY, CRANLL WAS RELUCTANT TO DISCS SPECIFIC S, BUT HE DID SAY OPERATN PARRABELL WOULD LOOK AGA AT BOTH ATHS AND MAKE APOLOGI WHERE APPROPRIATE.HE NFIRMED THAT PARRABELL HAS FOUND SOME LAPS THE ORIGAL QUIRI TO SOME OF THE 88 S AND WOULD SEND THEM BACK TO THE UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM FOR RE-VTIGATN. HE EXPECTED SOME S WOULD BE RECLASSIFIED.“MY SENSE IS THAT, Y, THEY WILL BE RECLASSIFIED. IF THERE ARE MISTAK THAT HAVE BEEN MA, THEN OM RIGHT NOW, OM THIS POT HISTORY, WE N RRECT THAT. IF WE N’T THEN WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT’S OCCURRED AND HOPEFULLY AT LEAST GIVE SOME SENSE OF SATISFACTN TO THE MUNY THAT AT LEAST WE’VE DONE WHAT WE N.”OPERATN PARRABELL DO NOT RRY OUT DIVIDUAL VTIGATNS BUT REVIEWS THE QUIRI THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE TIME OF THE ATHS. IT WILL REFER S FOR FURTHER VTIGATN WHENEVER FDS ANY POSSIBILY WAS MOTIVATED BY BIAS AGAST THE VICTIM.CRANLL TOLD SBS THAT PENNT AMICS WOULD BE RECED TO NDUCT A REVIEW OF PARRABELL TO ENSURE IS SCTISED AND THAT S FAL REMENDATNS ARE REFULLY NSIRED.OF BILL ROONEY, CRANLL SAID: “WELL, IF THAT IS BLATANT POLICE ERROR, THEN I THK PARRABELL IS THE OPPORTUNY TO RRECT THAT RERD.”HE ADD: “GIVEN YOU YOURSELF HAVE INTIFIED FICIENCI, I WOULD THK THAT THAT WOULD BE… AN APPROPRIATE SE FOR REFERRAL [TO UNSOLVED HOMICI].”WHAT MSAGE WOULD HE GIVE WAYNE DAVIS?“I WOULD SAY TO WAYNE, IS PERFECTLY NATURAL AND ACCEPTABLE TO HAVE THOSE EXPECTATNS – TO BE GIVEN ANSWERS.“I THK THAT WAYNE HAS PROBABLY WAED FAR TOO LONG FOR THOSE ANSWERS. IT IS THE JOB OF OPERATN PARRABELL TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE EXTENT OF WHETHER THE BIAS CRIME HAS OCCURRED, AND TO HAVE A LOOK AT WHETHER OR NOT THAT VTIGATN IS IMPORTANT OR FLAWED SOME WAY; IF THAT'S THE SE, THEN TO GET THAT VTIGATN RE-VTIGATED.“SO FOR ME, WAYNE'S EXPECTATNS ARE APPROPRIATE AND WHATEVER WE N DO TO MAKE HIS EXPECTATNS E TO UN, WE OUGHT TO DO.”DO YOU KNOW MORE? GET TOUCH WH THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERETHE FIRST TIME WAYNE DAVIS WENT TO THE GAY MARDI GRAS SYDNEY, 1982, HE MET A STSMAN LLED BILL ROONEY. “HE WAS GOOD LOOKG; HE WAS TELLIGENT; HE WAS FUN,” DAVIS TOLD SBS AN TERVIEW AT HIS HOME A SUBURB SOUTH OF WOLLONGONG.ROONEY MOVED TO THE STEEL CY TO LIVE WH DAVIS AND THEY WERE PARTNERS FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. “BILL CHANGED MY LIFE A LOT OF WAYS THAT, WHILST I WAS NEVER CLOSETED AS A GAY MAN, HE HELPED ME TO FD MY TE INTY.”ON THE MORNG OF FEBARY 14, 1986, ROONEY WAS FOUND – BLOODIED AND WH HEAD JURI, BUT STILL ALIVE – BEHD A SHOP OFF CROWN LANE, WOLLONGONG. ROONEY WAS 32 AND DAVIS WAS A 31-YEAR-OLD TAFE TEACHER.DAVIS DIDN’T LEARN OF THE EMERGENCY UNTIL THAT EVENG. ROONEY HAD BEEN OUT DRKG THE PREV NIGHT AND HADN’T E HOME. DAVIS HAD GONE LOOKG FOR HIM THAT DAY AT THEIR REGULAR BARS. HE RETURNED HOME WH A UPLE OF BEERS AND SAT DOWN ONT OF THE EVENG NEWS. AND THERE ON THE SCREEN WAS BILL, NO MISTAKE. HE WAS BEG TAKEN AWAY AN AMBULANCE.DAVIS SHED TO WOLLONGONG HOSPAL. IT BEME CLEAR ROONEY WASN’T GOG TO SURVIVE. APART OM HIS HORRIFIC HEAD JURI, DAVIS OBSERVED A BISE ON ROONEY’S RIGHT CHT “WH THE CLEAR IMPRT OF A FIST”.DAVIS WENT OM THE HOSPAL TO THE POLICE STATN, WHERE AS MANY AS “EIGHT PLA-CLOTH POLICE WERE SQUEEZED LIKE SARD TO A SMALL ROOM”.“ONE OF THEM ASKED, ‘WHO IS BILL’S GIRLIEND? WHO IS HIS WIFE?’ I EXPLAED HE WAS GAY, THAT I WAS HIS PARTNER. SIX OF THE POLICE STANTLY FILED OUT OF THE ROOM, SHAKG THEIR HEADS.”HE ATTRIBUT THE RPONSE TO AIDS STIGMA AT THE TIME.“YOU’VE GOT TO REALISE THAT AT THE TIME THE HIV/AIDS PROBLEM HAD REALLY BEE QUE SER. THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT YOU ULD TCH AIDS BY JT BEG ASSOCIATED WH A GAY MAN.”SIX DAYS LATER, DAVIS AGREED TO SWCH OFF ROONEY’S LIFE SUPPORT.A 30-YEAR MYSTERY ... WAYNE DAVIS WH HIS ONLY PICTURE OF PARTNER BILL ROONEY, WHO HE BELIEV WAS MURRED BEE HE WAS GAY. SOURCE: SBSDAVIS REMEMBERS POLICE AT FIRST STG SOME SPICN ON HIM. WHILE THE IAL POLICE REPORT TO THE RONER SAID THERE WERE “SPIC CIRCUMSTANC”, AN VTIGATG TECTIVE WOULD ADVISE THAT HE BELIEVED ROONEY FELL ACCINTALLY WHILE TOXITED.THERE HAD BEEN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS NNG TO THE REAR OF THE SHOP WHERE ROONEY WAS FOUND, BUT TENSIVE RE DOCTOR MASON RAMSAY TOLD THE LOL RONER THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THE MASSIVE SKULL ACTUR, FOCED ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD, ULD BE EASILY EXPLAED BY AN ACCINTAL FALL.“HIS CEREBELLUM HAD STARTED TO E AWAY OM HIS CEREBRAL RTEX,” DAVIS SAID.CORONER WARWICK SON MA AN OPEN FDG, NCLUDG THAT “WHETHER SUCH JURI WERE RECEIVED ACCINTALLY OR OTHERWISE, THE EVINCE DO NOT ALLOW ME TO SAY”.DAVIS MA HIS OWN NCLN: MURR. “THERE WERE A SERI OF ATTACKS ON GAY MEN WH THE AREA, BOTH BEFORE BILL WAS MURRED AND AFTER BILL WAS MURRED, SO WE KNEW SOMETHG WAS GOG ON.”HE SAID HE HAD HIS OWN THEORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.“WELL, THOSE DAYS RELATNSHIPS WERE OPEN. OURS WAS CERTALY AN OPEN RELATNSHIP. I BELIEVE 'S POSSIBLE THAT HE MET SOMEONE WHO TOOK HIS FANCY AND SORT OF [WENT] OFF WH THEM [TO] HAVE SEX.“I BELIEVE THAT HE WAS LURED THERE BY SOMEONE AND THEY BASILLY ASSLTED HIM… AND H HIM OVER THE BACK OF THE HEAD WH A HEAVY BLUNT OBJECT.”FOUR YEARS LATER, DAVIS WROTE A LETTER ADDRSED TO SUE THOMPSON, THEN H HER JOB AS THE POLICE FORCE’S GAY LIAISON -ORDATOR. IT WAS PUBLISHED THE GAY NEWSPAPER SYDNEY STAR OBSERVER.“DEAR SUE, I WISH TO EXPRS MY APPRECIATN OF THE WORK UNRTAKEN BY DETECTIVE SERGEANT DAVID ASWORTH OF WOLLONGONG DETECTIV RELATN TO A SERI OF GAY BASHGS THAT OCCURRED THE WOLLONGONG AREA OVER RECENT YEARS,” DAVIS WROTE. “THE FIRST VICTIM OF THE BASHER (OR BASHERS) WAS MY PARTNER, WILLIAM (BILL) ANTONY ROONEY.”BUT HIS LETTER SAID: “THE TREATMENT I RECEIVED OM THE [OTHER] POLICE DURG THE URSE OF THEIR VTIGATNS WAS, TO SAY THE LEAST, FAR OM SYMPATHETIC. I WAS OF THE IMPRSN THAT AS A GAY MAN I WAS A LSER HUMAN BEG AND THAT BILL’S ATH DIDN’T MATTER BEE HE WAS GAY.“IN THE QUT TO BILL’S ATH I WAS LEFT WH THE DISTCT IMPRSN THAT THE POLICE WERE ATTEMPTG TO SECURE A VERDICT OF ‘DEATH BY MISADVENTURE’. MANY OF BILL’S IENDS RISTED THIS APPROACH.“IN THE LIGHT OF ALL OF THIS DETECTIVE SERGEANT ASWORTH NTUED TO VTIGATE …”SERI OF ATTACKSASWORTH, WHO HAS SCE RETIRED, DID NOT WISH TO BE TERVIEWED FOR THIS STORY.HOWEVER, CRIME THOR MCNAB HAS TABLISHED THAT ASWORTH WAS AMONG A GROUP OF TECTIV WHO DID NOT BUY THE ACCINTAL FALL THEORY. DPE STCTNS OM THEIR SUPERRS TO DROP – BEE WAS NOT THEIR SE – THEY KEPT ASKG QUTNS.THEY WERE ALARMED TO DISVER THAT THE POLICE FIRST ON THE SCENE HAD NOT SECURED THE AREA. BY THE TIME TECTIV AND SCIENTIFIC VTIGATORS ARRIVED LS THAN AN HOUR LATER, SOMEONE HAD HOSED DOWN. MOST OF THE BLOOD AND PHYSIL EVINCE WAS GONE.ASWORTH AND HIS LLEAGU ALSO HEARD OM ONE OF THE AMBULANCE OFFICERS WHO HAD HELPED ROONEY. THE OFFICER REPORTED THE FLY TO ROONEY’S TROERS WAS OPEN. BUT THERE WAS NO MENTN OF THIS THE POLICE REPORTS; NOR WAS ROONEY EXAMED FOR EVINCE OF SEXUAL ASSLT.LS THAN THREE WEEKS AFTER ROONEY’S ATH, A 21-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO HAD BEEN OUT DRKG WAS FOUND WH SEVERE HEAD JURI WOLLONGONG ON MARCH 8, 1986. MCNAB HAS OUTLED THE SE HIS FORTHG BOOK, GETTG AWAY WH MURR: “A MEDIL EXAMATN, ORRED BY A THOROUGH TECTIVE, FOUND THE MAN HAD JURI TO HIS AN ‘NSISTENT WH A SEXUAL ASSLT’.”THIS WAS AMONG 12 ASSLTS ON YOUNG MEN, ALL WH SIAR MOD OPERANDI, REPORTED OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. SOMETIM THE ATTACKER WOULD STRIKE THE VICTIM ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD WH A ROCK. OFTEN HE ORRED THE MEN TO PULL DOWN THEIR TROERS. HE WOULD PERFORM ORAL SEX ON THEM OR MAND BE PERFORMED ON HIM. HE ROBBED SOME OF THEM. IN MOST S HE RAPED THEM. HE FOUND AT LEAST TWO OF HIS VICTIMS AT A WOLLONGONG GAY BEAT, MACCABE PARK, ALTHOUGH HE ALSO ATTACKED STRAIGHT MEN.BASED ON A SCRIPTN OM THE 12TH VICTIM, SEPTEMBER 1989, POLICE ARRTED 24-YEAR-OLD MARK ANTONY SCERRI AND CHARGED HIM WH 29 OFFENC AGAST ALL 12 MEN, THOUGH NOT NNECTN WH ROONEY’S ATH. THE CHARG CLUD ATTEMPTED MURR, KIDNAPPG, SEXUAL ASSLT, FLICTG GRIEVO BODILY HARM AND ROBBERY.IN 1991, SCERRI WAS FOUND NOT GUILTY ON TWO ASSLT AND ONE ROBBERY CHARG, WHILE THE PROSECUTN DROPPED 15 OTHER CHARG. BUT THE PROSECUTN WAS NARROWED TO THREE VICTIMS AND – AFTER THE FIRST JURY FAILED TO REACH A VERDICT – SCERRI WAS NVICTED ON FEBARY 20, 1993, SEVEN YEARS TO THE DAY AFTER BILL ROONEY’S LIFE SUPPORT WAS SWCHED OFF.“SEX MONSTER GETS 16 YEARS,” CRIED THE ONT-PAGE HEADLE  THE ILLAWARRA MERCURY.FRONT-PAGE NEWS ... WAYNE DAVIS WH HIS PLEA THE ILLAWARRA MERCURY FOR RMATN ABOUT HIS PARTNER, BILL ROONEY'S ATH. SOURCE: SBSDETECTIV LATER VISED SCERRI JAIL TO QUTN HIM ABOUT THE 1986 ATH OF ROONEY. ACRDG TO THEIR RERDS, HE TOLD THEM: ‘’YOU N STICK UP YOUR ARSE. GET F---ED. F--- OFF.’’A SENR CROWN PROSECUTOR TOLD THE TECTIV WHAT THEY ALREADY KNEW. THEY DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH EVINCE TO PUT SCERRI ONT OF A JURY FOR MURRG ROONEY.AMONG THE 12 VICTIMS ASSOCIATED WH SCERRI’S FIRST TRIAL WERE TWO GAY MEN WHO HAD GONE TO MACCABE PARK 1986 HOPE OF FDG A SEXUAL PARTNER. ONE OF THEM ALLEGED HE AGREED TO GO WH SCERRI TO STUART PARK NEAR THE BEACH AT NORTH WOLLONGONG. WHEN THE MAN BEGAN TO PERFORM ORAL SEX, HE CLAIMED, SCERRI LNCHED A BTAL ASSLT AND REPEATEDLY RAPED HIM. “HE SAID TO ME, ‘I’LL KILL YOU LIKE I DID THE OTHER POOFTER THE LANEWAY’. ”THE MAN WENT TO POLICE THAT NIGHT AND THEY TOLD HIM TO GO TO HOSPAL. WHEN THEY SENT TECTIV TO QUTN HIM, HOWEVER, HE CHOSE NOT TO GIVE A STATEMENT “AS I WAS EMBARRASSED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED”. IT WAS ONLY WHEN HE SAW SCERRI’S PICTURE THE MERCURY ALMOST THREE YEARS LATER THAT HE WENT TO POLICE.IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT SCERRI WAS NOT, THE END, NVICTED OF THIS ALLEGED BEACH-SI ASSLT OR CHARGED OVER ROONEY’S ATH. BUT HELPS EXPLA WHY HE BEME A PERSON OF TERT THE ROONEY SE, AT LEAST FOR THE TECTIV WHO WERE NVCED THE STSMAN WAS MURRED.OF THE THREE ASSLT VICTIMS FOR WHOM SCERRI WAS TRIED AND NVICTED, ONE HAD CHATTED WH HIM OUTSI PIPS INTERNATNAL NIGHTCLUB CROWN LANE, WOLLONGONG, SEPTEMBER 1989. THEY WALKED UP THE LANE TOGETHER TO A R PARK, WHERE SCERRI BEAT THE MAN OVER THE HEAD WH A ROCK AND RAPED HIM. IT WAS METR OM WHERE ROONEY WAS FOUND 1986.SCERRI SERVED HIS TIME. HE WAS RELEASED OM JAIL NOVEMBER 2001. WH SIX MONTHS, HE STCK AGA. HE SEIZED A YOUNG MAN LEAVG ANOTHER WOLLONGONG NIGHTCLUB, PNED HIM TO THE GROUND, PUNCHED HIM, PULLED HIS TROERS DOWN AND PERFORMED ORAL SEX. THE VICTIM PED. POLICE ARRTED SCERRI AND FOUND TRAC OF HIS DNA ON THE VICTIM.A SEXUAL SADIST, ACRDG TO ONE PSYCHIATRIC REPORT, SCERRI PLEAD GUILTY TO THE ATTACK. HE WENT BACK TO JAIL AND WAS RELEASED 2011. BY NOW BILL ROONEY HAD BEEN AD 25 YEARS.“ROONEY’S SE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN A SO-LLED ‘GAY-HATE’ MURR,” MCNAB SAID. “BUT BEGS THE QUTN: DID POLICE GIVE HIS ATH LS ATTENTN THAN SERVED BEE HE WAS GAY?”‘IF BILL WAS A STRAIGHT MAN, THEY WOULD HAVE PULLED OUT ALL STOPS TO TRY AND FD OUT WHAT HAPPENED.’ - BILL ROONEY’S PARTNER, WAYNE DAVISTHAT REMAS THE BTER MEMORY OF WAYNE DAVIS, BUT HE WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL TO THE RETIRED TECTIVE. “I FOUND DAVID ASWORTH TO BE EXCEPTNALLY RG, LIKE HE WAS VERY PROFSNAL. HE WANTED TO DO HIS JOB.”OF THE OTHER POLICE, DAVIS BELIEV DISCRIMATN HAMPERED THE SE. “IF BILL WAS A STRAIGHT MAN, THEY WOULD HAVE PULLED OUT ALL STOPS TO TRY AND FD OUT WHAT HAPPENED,” HE SAID.“I WOULDN’T SAY THAT I’M ANGRY. I’D SAY I’M SAD… THAT THEY DON’T TREAT HUMAN LIFE EQUALLY.”HOMICI TECTIVE STEVE PAGE WAS LEFT WH SIAR IMPRSNS ABOUT LAPS POLICE DILIGENCE WHEN HE NDUCTED OPERATN TARADALE, A THREE-YEAR RE-VTIGATN OF THE BASHGS, ATHS AND DISAPPEARANC OF GAY MEN AROUND THE BONDI-TAMARAMA CLIFFS AND THE MARKS PARK BEAT.PAGE’S OPERATN LED TO A 2005 RONIAL FDG THAT NMNED THE “LACKLTRE” AND “SHAMEFUL” IAL POLICE NCLNS THAT ROSS WARREN AND JOHN RSELL FELL ACCINTALLY TO THEIR ATHS 1989 OM THE CLIFFS SKIRTG THE MARKS PARK GAY BEAT.JACQUELE MILLEDGE, THE DEPUTY STATE CORONER 2005, LED THAT RSELL WAS THROWN TO HIS ATH, WARREN WAS MURRED, AND MISSG GAY FRENCHMAN GILL MATTAI – WHILE SHE ULD NOT LE ON THE E OF ATH – MAY HAVE MET A SIAR FATE 1985.THE UNSOLVED ATHS OF WARREN, RSELL AND MATTAI ARE NOW AMONG THE EIGHT THAT POLICE ACCEPT AS POSSIBLE GAY-HATE S. EACH BEME THE SUBJECT OF A $100,000 REWARD FOR RMATN RELATG TO THEIR KILLERS LAST YEAR. AT THE TIME, VLENT GANGS OF YOUTHS WERE AMONG THE CULPRS OF “POOFTER BASHG” SPRE. THEY FOUND EASY TARGETS BY ROAMG GAY BEATS, TYPILLY PARKS OR PUBLIC TOILETS WHERE HOMOSEXUAL MEN MET FOR SUAL AND ANONYMO SEX.THEY REGULARLY BASHED WH IMPUNY AS VICTIMS REFED TO REPORT ASSLTS BEE THEY DID NOT WANT TO “E OUT” AS GAY, DID NOT WANT TO ADM THEY ATTEND BEATS, OR DID NOT TST THE POLICE. HOMOSEXUAL SEX WAS NOT CRIMALISED NSW UNTIL 1984.MCNAB, HIMSELF GAY, SAID THE POLICE CULTURE WOULD HAVE ACTIVELY DISURAGED PEOPLE OM REPORTG HATE CRIM.“SYDNEY WAS A BLOODY DANGERO SPOT IF YOU HAPPENED TO BE A GAY MAN. THERE ARE HORROR STORI OF MEN WHO’D GONE TO A POLICE STATN TO REPORT BEG BASHED ONLY TO BE TAKEN TO THE CELLS AND BE BASHED FOR REPORTG A BASHG. THE POLICE CULTURE OF THAT PERD STANK.”HE STRSED THE FORCE WAS NOT ALL BAD, AND THERE WERE MANY GOOD POLICE WHO WERE NOT HOMOPHOBIC.STEVE PAGE, WHO LEFT THE FORCE BEFORE THE NCLN OF THE MILLEDGE QUT, TOLD SBS: “YOU HAVE TO ASK, WOULD POLICE HAVE BEEN SO DISMISSIVE OF THE ATHS HAD THE VICTIMS BEEN ANY OTHER GROUP OF CIZENS – LET’S SAY DOCTORS, SCHOOL TEACHERS, WOMEN OR CHILDREN?”MCNAB SAID THAT “SOME VERY NSCIENT TECTIV BELIEVED – UNLIKE THEIR POLICE LLEAGU” THAT ROONEY WAS MURRED.“AND WHAT WE CERTALY KNOW IS THAT POLICE, MORE THAN THREE S LATER, ULD NOT EVEN FD A RERD OF ROONEY’S ATH – BEE THEY WERE LOOKG FOR THE WRONG NAME.“WHETHER OR NOT WAS ‘GAY-HATE’ MURR, WAS VERY POSSIBLY A MURR. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT BILL ROONEY DIDN’T GET JTICE AFTER HIS ATH, AND HE’S NOT GETTG NOW,” HE SAID.“IT’S AN SULT TO HIS MEMORY THAT POLICE ULDN’T EVEN BE BOTHERED TO PICK UP THE PHONE – NOT, APPARENTLY, TO LL THE CRIMOLOGIST STEPHEN TOMSEN TO ASK, ‘HEY, WHO IS THIS WILLIAM RUDNEY GUY? WE N’T FD HIM.’ OR NOT TO LL THEIR LLEAGU WOLLONGONG AND ASK, ‘DID YOU HAVE ANY S 1986 THAT MIGHT MATCH THIS?’ I MEAN, WOLLONGONG IS HARDLY THE MURR PAL OF THE WORLD. IT WOULDN’T HAVE TAKEN TOO LONG TO SN THROUGH THE S THAT MIGHT F.“I N ONLY HOPE OPERATN PARRABELL FALLY GETS RIGHT.”SUPERTENNT TONY CRANLL, OVERSEEG THAT OPERATN, WANTS TO “RRECT THAT RERD”.CROWN LANE, WOLLONGONG ... METR OM WHERE BILL ROONEY WAS FOUND WH SEVERE HEAD JURI 1986.PICTURE: DAVE MAY SOURCE: SBSWHEN FIRST ASKED IF HE WAS AWARE OF THE SPELLG MIX-UP, CRANLL SAID: “I'M AWARE THAT THERE WERE ACTUALLY TWO NAM ON A FILE. BUT I'M NOT AWARE AS TO WHY THAT WAS, WHETHER THAT WAS AN ALIAS OR AN ERROR OM THE VTIGATOR. I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT, NO.”AND WAS HE AWARE THAT THERE WAS A RONIAL REPORT FOR WILLIAM ROONEY, IF NOT FOR A WILLIAM RUDNEY? “I N'T TELL YOU THAT. I DON'T KNOW THAT.”HE PLEDGED TO LOOK AGA AT THE SE AND TO SEND BACK TO THE UNSOLVED HOMICI TEAM.“WE’RE TALKG ABOUT THE ATH OF A HUMAN BEG. I HAD SOME TIME THE HOMICI SQUAD. I KNOW THE PTH OF QUIRY – WHAT’S REQUIRED,” HE SAID.WAYNE DAVIS IS RIGNED: “I WILL GO TO MY GRAVE WH UNROLVED GRIEF.”BUT HE SAID: “I’M TELLG THE STORY NOW BEE I DON’T THK WE LEARN OUR LSONS IF WE FET OUR PAST. AND I THK EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE JTICE THAT WAS METED OUT TO GAY MEN AND I SPECT LBIANS DURG THAT PERD.”ANOTHER CLIFF ATHSUPERTENNT TONY CRANLL AND THE EIGHT TECTIV WORKG FOR HIM ON OPERATN PARRABELL ARE YET TO NTACT THE FAY OF PETER SHEIL.PETER WAS 29 WHEN HIS BODY WAS FOUND AT THE BASE OF A LOW CLIFF AT GORDONS BAY, NORTH OF COOGEE, APRIL 1983. THE FLY OF HIS TROERS WAS UNDONE, ACRDG TO ONE OF PETER’S BROTHERS, CHRISTOPHER SHEIL.HIS FATHER, NOW AD, SETTLED THE SE WH A POLICE OFFICER. THE PAIR ARRIVED AT THE NCLN OF MISADVENTURE AFTER AN “QUIRY” THAT LASTED “ALL OF ABOUT A MUTE”.NONE OF THIS TAIL IS NTAED THE POLICE NOT ON SHEIL’S ATH, WHICH IS AMONG THE 30 S THEY HAVE SUMMARISED FOR THE STATE CORONER FOR THE UPG THIRD QUT TO STT JOHNSON’S FATAL FALL AT NORTH HEAD 1988. IN LS THAN THREE L, POLICE STATE: “THERE ARE NO RONIAL RERDS OF A ATH OF A PERSON OF THIS NAME.”CHRISTOPHER SHEIL REMEMBERS WHY. HE WAS 27 WHEN HE WNSED THE EXCHANGE BETWEEN HIS FATHER AND THE POLICE OFFICER. HE SAID HE PROTTED: “WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER HE JUMPED, FELL OR WAS PHED.” TO WHICH HIS FATHER HAD REPLIED: “AH, WE’RE NOT GUNNA GO TO ANY OF THAT.”PETER SHEIL WAS FOUND AT THE BASE OF A CLIFF AT SYDNEY'S GORDONS BAY 1983. SOURCE: SUPPLIEDPETER SHEIL BATTLED MENTAL ILLNS, BUT HIS MOTHER, NOW AD, ALWAYS SISTED HE WAS NOT PRSED OR SUICIDAL WHEN HE LLED HER ABOUT 8PM TO SAY HE WOULD WALK HOME OM THE COOGEE BAY HOTEL. HE WALKED NORTH VIA THE SEA-CLIFFS PATH, WHICH HAPPENED TO PASS GAY BEATS WHERE MEN MET FOR SEX.PETER’S SIBLGS ARE ADAMANT THEIR BROTHER WAS NOT GAY. “BUT HE WAS MENTALLY ILL AND HE ULD BE VERY GREGAR,” SAYS CHRISTOPHER. “AND HE WAS RECKLS. IT'S PLSIBLE THAT HE WAS MISTAKEN FOR BEG GAY WHILE WALKG THROUGH A GAY BEAT – THAT HE WAS ATTACKED FOR THAT REASON.”BACK AT THE CLIFFS AT GORDONS BAY, CHRISTOPHER REMEMBERS HIS BROTHER."HE WROTE EXTRAORDARY POETRY. IT WAS A WAY TO ATTRACT THE GIRLS.”POLICE ACCEPT THAT A PERSON NEED NOT BE GAY TO BE THE VICTIM OF A GAY-HATE ATTACK. ASSAILANTS MIGHT WRONGLY ASSUME A HETEROSEXUAL MAN IS GAY, PARTICULARLY IF HE IS PASSG THROUGH A GAY BEAT.THE SIBLGS ALSO ACCEPT IS POSSIBLE PETER FELL ACCINTALLY TO HIS ATH. HAD HE STEPPED OFF THE PATH TO URATE, THEN FALLEN OM THE CLIFF? MIGHT THAT EXPLA THE OPEN FLY ON HIS PANTS?BUT THE CLIFF EDGE HE WENT TO, MUCH LOWER THAN OTHERS NEARBY, WAS QUE A DOWNHILL SCRAMBLE FORM THE OCEAN PATH, AND PETER WAS CLOSE TO HIS HOSTEL BY THAT TIME. THE FAY HAS RRECTED AN EARLIER REPORTED RELLECTN THAT PETER WAS FOUND WH HIS PANTS REMOVED.IT WAS MORE THAN A DAY BEFORE A FISHERMAN FOUND HIS BODY.THE SHEILS’ MOTHER WAS A VOUT CATHOLIC AND DID NOT WANT TO UNTENANCE SUICI, BUT CHRISTOPHER SAYS: "WE N'T LE OUT THE POSSIBILY THAT HE FELL OR THAT HE JUMPED TO HIS ATH. HE WAS MENTALLY DISTURBED."BUT IF YOU NSIR THE LOWNS OF THE CLIFF WHERE HIS BODY WAS FOUND, AND THE MUCH HIGHER CLIFFS NEARBY THAT HE ULD HAVE CHOSEN IF SUICI WAS HIS TENTN, WE THK THAT'S THE LEAST LIKELY EXPLANATN."THE POT, HE SAYS, IS THAT POLICE DID NOTHG TO TABLISH THE FACTS ABOUT HIS BROTHER’S  ATH.LEAVG THE CLIFF WHERE PETER SPENT HIS LAST MOMENTS ALIVE, CHRISTOPHER SAYS: “WE WANT THE TTH. BUT WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER TO KNOW – THAT YOUR BROTHER FELL, JUMPED OR WAS PHED TO HIS ATH? IT’S HARD. WHAT VERSN OF THE TTH DO YOU REALLY WANT?”NONE OF THE POLICE REVIEWG THE UNSOLVED ATHS – NEHER UNSOLVED HOMICI NOR THE CURRENT OPERATN PARRABELL – HAS EVER NTACTED THE SHEILS TO DISCS ANY OF THE POSSIBILI.SUPERTENNT TONY CRANLL TOLD SBS: “LET ME SAY THIS – IF QUIRI OM PARRABELL SHOW THAT THERE'S BEEN AN APPROPRIATE VTIGATN, AN VTIGATN SUBSTANDARD… THEN I'M HAPPY TO NTACT THOSE PEOPLE BEE PARRABELL IS ALSO ABOUT GIVG PEOPLE SOME PEACE OF MD.”THERE WILL BE APOLOGI POTENTIALLY?“POTENTIALLY. ABSOLUTELY.”TO THE SHEIL FAY? TO BILL ROONEY’S PARTNER, WAYNE DAVIS?“WELL, I N'T SAY ON THAT PARTICULAR SE,” CRANLL SAID. “BUT I N SAY THAT WE HAVE APOLOGISED THE PAST. I DON'T SEE WHY, IF WE HAVE NOT DONE A THOROUGH VTIGATN, WE WOULD NOT DO SO ANY EVENT. WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF MY REVIEW IF I'M NOT GOG TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHERE THE SHORTGS ARE AND, IF THERE ARE SHORTGS, APOLOGISE.”OPERATN PARRABELL HAS ONLY A FEW WEEKS LEFT TO N.“THE LGBTI MUNY HAS BEEN MARGALISED FOR A LONG TIME,” CRANLL SAID. “I REALLY THK THAT WE ARE MOVG FORWARD TOGETHER. THIS, TO ME, OPERATN PARRABELL PARTICULAR, IS A SYMBOL OF BEG ABLE TO MOVE TOGETHER FORWARD AND REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE RRECT HISTORY WHEREVER WE N.“WE CLARIFY THE HISTORIL POSN WHEREVER WE N SO THAT WE N ENGENR SOME SORT OF TST TOGETHER," HE SAID.  “WE N'T POLICE UNLS WE HAVE THE MUNY SUPPORT OF , AND I'M TALKG ABOUT THE MAJORY OF THE MUNY. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT’S NECSARILY BEEN THE SE WH THE LGBTI MUNY OVER THE YEARS, BUT I CERTALY THK WE'RE MOVG THE RIGHT DIRECTN NOW.”THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED TO CLU NEW RMATN OM THE NSW POLICE FORCE.SBS’S FEATURE DOCUMENTARY DEEP WATER - THE REAL STORY, AIRS SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER, 8.30PM ON SBS. SHAREFOLLOW THE FEEDFACEBOOKTWTERSTAGRAMYOUTUBETHROUGH AWARD WNG STORYTELLG, THE FEED BREAKS NEW GROUND WH S PELLG MIX OF CURRENT AFFAIRS, EDY, PROFIL AND VTIGATNS. SEE DIFFERENT. KNOW BETTER. LGH HARR. READ MORE ABOUT THE FEEDWATCH NOWHAVE A STORY OR MENT? CONTACT USTHROUGH AWARD WNG STORYTELLG, THE FEED BREAKS NEW GROUND WH S PELLG MIX OF CURRENT AFFAIRS, EDY, PROFIL AND VTIGATNS. SEE DIFFERENT. KNOW BETTER. LGH HARR.WATCH NOWFOLLOW THE FEEDFACEBOOKTWTERSTAGRAMYOUTUBE35 M READPUBLISHED 26 SEPTEMBER 2016 9:57AMUPDATED 4 OCTOBER 2016 10:43AMBY PATRICK ABBOUD, RICK FENELEYTAGSCRIMESYDNEYSHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHAREREMEND FOR YOU

“Usg a pack mentaly they [gay-hate gangs] would target people that were unable to fend themselv agast the numbers of offenrs and there was a lot of vlence flicted agast the victims. “For whom, Stt had e to symbolise the many dozens of other gay men who lost their liv the 1980s and 90s a world full of anti-gay prejudice and hatred. “Surfers go to south Bondi, backpackers, fai and people om wtern Sydney go the middle, then gays go to north Bondi.

THE 50 BT GAY SONGS TO CELEBRATE PRI ALL YEAR LONG

Before homosexualy was crimalised (1984 New South Wal all the way through to 1997 Tasmania), some beach areas beme “beats” – venu where gay men uld discreetly hook up bee society offered few spac for them to meet and be timate.

In September 2018, the Liberal MP Shayne Mallard announced a parliamentary quiry to homophobic hate crim mted between 1970 and 2010.

This clus 30 outstandg s of at least 88 murrs rulted gay men beg found ad at the bottom or on top of beach clifftops.

SYDNEY GAY BEACH

Police are now offerg a $1m reward for rmatn leadg to nvictn – after ially, accurately, nyg the area was a October 2018, Waverley uncil announced a memorial monument will be built at the cliffsi Marks Park, south of Bondi, followg the homophobic attacks and murrs of men at this Atralian beach culture, Murphy says, remas more nservative than beach like Sg Spa, “where there are cktails, DJs and parti right on the sand”.

” The profsnal surfer Barton Lynch explaed was mon to ll someone “faggot” or “poofter” when they didn’t tch a wave – homophobic language he has avoid sce his brother me out. The uple, who n the blog, ce nudist beach such as Ltle Congwong at La Peroe (an unofficial nudist beach which police have prevly raid), Lady Jane and Obelisk beach Sydney, Port Douglas’s Turtle Cove rort and the “world famo” Kgs Beach at Byron uple say the associated non-nformy and liberatn of nudist beach often make them popular wh gay people: “As gay people, our eedoms were somewhat rtricted. The NSW Police Force has admted s officers may have ma ser mistak while re-examg potential gay-hate murrs among a list of 30 unsolved aths.

It was Rooney – and there are ed ronial rerds for a William police reviewg the s had disvered the spellg error, they might also have learned that some diligent tectiv the 1980s me to doubt Bill Rooney died bee of a dnken fall a Wollongong lane, as proposed by their police, the tectiv spected Rooney was murred by a notor sexual sadist who they went on to charge wh bashg and rapg 12 other gay and straight men, cludg a homosexual victim who relled his attacker sayg: “I’ll kill you like I did the other poofter the laneway. ”Thirty years later, the blunr is gallg for Rooney’s partner, former TAFE teacher Wayne Davis, who always sisted Bill was murred bee he was gay. ”He matas his belief that police “didn’t treat all human life equally”, and that his ncerns – along wh Rooney’s ath – were dismissed bee they were gay men an era of wispread homophobia.

GAY MELBOURNE

”Cranll is overseeg Operatn Parrabell, which ne tectiv have been reviewg 88 aths om the 1970s, 80s and 90s to asss how many might f the gay-hate tegory, and whether or not a homophobic police culture may have hred any of the origal most of those aths were solved, or at least brought to some ncln. The 27-year-old Amerin gay man and mathematics prodigy was found naked at the base of a cliff at North Head, near Manly, December will beg hearg an extraordary third qut to the Johnson se December this year. It follows a $1 ln private vtigatn lnched by Steve Johnson, the Boston-based brother of Stt, who is nvced he was phed, chased or ightened off the cliff amid a succsn of “poofter bashgs” and murrs the late 1980s and early now accept the area where Johnson died was a gay beat, a place where men met for sual sex, although a senr officer advised the first qut to the ntrary.

Detective Chief Inspector Young’s report, however, gave most weight to the origal theory proposed by police December 1988 and accepted three months later by the first Coroner, Derrick Hand: that Stt Johnson mted Young report also rejected the classifitn of most of the 30 unsolved s as potential gay-hate crim. It listed jt eight that police nclud were “probable” or “possible”, and suggted var likely of ath for the remag s, cludg suici, accint, misadventure and murr wh no gay-hate cricised the work of the origal thors of the list of 30 s: Sue Thompson, a lawyer who was the police force’s gay liaison -ordator between 1990 and 2002, and Stephen Tomsen, a profsor of crimology at Wtern Sydney Universy.

They believe is plsible he was mistaken as beg gay as he wanred through a cliff-top beat after leavg the Coogee Bay Hotel.

While Payne’s ath is not among the s they regard as the most pellg when to evince of a potential gay-hate crime, they still expected the police effort to asss might amount to more than the three NSW Police Force has now told SBS that has found rerds for the four s sce the report was hand to the State Coroner early last year. ”However, the police laps will embarrass the force at a time when has been at pas to build bridg wh the LGBTI muny, no small part by re-examg the potential gay-hate s. Cranll won plds om the muny this year when he apologised on behalf of the police force for s treatment of people who were arrted and bashed while marchg Sydney’s first Gay Mardi Gras 2005, then Deputy State Coroner Jacquele Milledge nmned police for their “lackltre” and “shameful” vtigatns to missg televisn newsrear Ross Warren and barman John Rsell, who both died on the Bondi-Tamarama cliffs origally dismissed their aths as accintal falls, but Milledge – armed wh Operatn Taradale, a three-year vtigatn to possible gay-hate crim led by then homici tective Steve Page – found they were murred amid a spate of attacks on homosexual and Rsell are among the list of 30 unsolved s.

Thompson and Tomsen, meanwhile, have honed their origal list of 30 unsolved s to 22 which they believe are the most pellg and serve the most police attentn as potential gay-hate murrs.

The clu the eight s already accepted by nducted their “nservative” review of the 30 s last year wh the help of Peter Rolfe, founr of the group Support After Murr, and reprentativ of ACON, the anisatn that als wh the health ncerns of the LGBTI muny and has long mpaigned agast hate agreed to set asi s which the evince of potential anti-gay bias was ls pellg. They are not lg them out – except for the killg of a gay uple, which they now accept had nothg to do wh gay has tablished an that vers all 30 unsolved s, highlightg them acrdg to four tegori: the eight agreed by police; 13 more aths that rema ntentn but which Thompson and Tomsen believe to be likely or possible gay-hate murrs; one they say needs further vtigatn; and the eight ls pellg s that Thompson and Tomsen have set Rooney’s se is among those they unt as possible gay-hate murrs.

Get touch wh man who wasn’t thereThe first time Wayne Davis went to the Gay Mardi Gras Sydney, 1982, he met a Stsman lled Bill Rooney. “Bill changed my life a lot of ways that, whilst I was never closeted as a gay man, he helped me to fd my te inty. “There were a seri of attacks on gay men wh the area, both before Bill was murred and after Bill was murred, so we knew somethg was gog on.

”Four years later, Davis wrote a letter addrsed to Sue Thompson, then h her job as the police force’s gay liaison -ordator.

“Dear Sue, I wish to exprs my appreciatn of the work unrtaken by Detective Sergeant David Asworth of Wollongong Detectiv relatn to a seri of gay bashgs that occurred the Wollongong area over recent years, ” Davis wrote. He found at least two of his victims at a Wollongong gay beat, MacCabe Park, although he also attacked straight on a scriptn om the 12th victim, September 1989, police arrted 24-year-old Mark Antony Scerri and charged him wh 29 offenc agast all 12 men, though not nnectn wh Rooney’s ath. They didn’t have enough evince to put Scerri ont of a jury for murrg the 12 victims associated wh Scerri’s first trial were two gay men who had gone to MacCabe Park 1986 hope of fdg a sexual partner.