Wrangle over prominent case delays gay hate inquiry

A gay hate crimes inquiry has been asked to set aside evidence related to Scott Johnson's killing. (PR HANDOUT IMAGE PHOTO)

Police want material from a prominent homicide investigation to be ignored by a gay hate crimes inquiry amid concerns the inquiry chief will conclude officers were part of a "grand conspiracy" to play down bias crimes.

A lawyer for NSW Police was to address the special inquiry into LGBTQI hate crimes in Sydney on Friday as it examines the ways police have approached "bias crime" from 1970.

The matter was first heard over several weeks in December with evidence from three police strike forces - Macnamir, Parrabell and Neiwand.

Macnamir centred on the death of American mathematician Scott Johnson in 1989 at a Sydney gay beat, for which Scott Phillip White was sentenced three weeks ago to nine years in jail after admitting to manslaughter.

But barrister Mark Tedeschi on Friday instead argued evidence regarding Macnamir was irrelevant to the inquiry.

Any material regarding former NSW Police deputy commissioner Michael Willing and detective Pamela Young, who were both involved in the investigation, was also argued to be irrelevant.

He said homicide investigations were being used in the inquiry to suggest police had a "grand conspiracy" against LGBTQI people.

"The inquiry could come to the conclusion that there was an attempt by a team of police officers to understate the incidence of gay hate crimes," Mr Tedeschi said.

"(The investigations) could be accumulated together to come to the conclusion that there was - what I would loosely categorise - a grand conspiracy on the part of a very large number of police officers to do the same."

It is unclear when the inquiry will resolve the issue raised by police.

A 13th block of hearings - on the investigative practices of the police force - will start next Tuesday.

During the December hearings, police also took issue with the relevance of some material before the inquiry and the resources needed for the probe.

A letter claimed the inquiry's orders meant about a dozen investigations and reviews by the unsolved homicide team had been delayed.

The inquiry's commissioner, Justice John Sackar, dismissed the claim at the time as a "misguided and misconceived" assertion and "offensive" to the special inquiry.

The inquiry into LGBTQI hate crimes has been examining the unsolved deaths of 88 gay men between 1970 and 2010.

Justice Sackar will deliver a final report in August.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store