Drizzt
February 27, 2003, 05:02 PM
Herald Sun(Melbourne)
February 27, 2003, Thursday
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 11
LENGTH: 443 words
HEADLINE: Suspended policeman's guns returned
BYLINE: RUSSELL ROBINSON
BODY:
A SUSPENDED police sergeant facing charges of serious assault and perverting the course of justice has won a legal battle for the return of his guns.
The Benalla officer's weapons were seized last May and his firearms licence cancelled months later after the Chief Commissioner declared him "not a fit and proper person".
About the same time he was suspended without pay after investigation of several alleged assaults by the police ethical standards department.
George Edward Robb denies the allegations and, in an offic-ial hearing last week, accused the department of soliciting complaints from people who had a grudge against him.
He told a hearing of the State Government-appointed firearms appeals committee that department investigators had offered witnesses inducements such as withdrawing or reducing criminal charges.
The committee heard changes had allegedly been made to a witness statement at the Benalla criminal investigation unit, which made things "more grey than black and white".
When interviewed again the witness gave a revised version of events to detectives from ESD, corroborating the complainant's version of events, the committee was told.
In his evidence, Sgt Robb said that as a police officer he'd been deemed a fit and proper person to be issued with a firearm and take a life in the line of duty.
"Now, I'm not fit enough to shoot a rabbit on my own land," said Sgt Robb, who owns a farming property 20km from Benalla. "It is ludicrous.
"I'm an innocent man who has been convicted of nothing," he told committee chairman Lindsay Ford.
Sgt Robb, who sits on the executive of the local Victorian Farmers' Federation branch, said he needed guns to control vermin on his drought-hit cattle, sheep and pig property, and also to put down suffering stock.
Handing down his decision this week, Mr Ford criticised the evidence led by police to support their firearms ban.
He said the committee's role was not to consider whether Sgt Robb was guilty of a criminal offence, but to ascertain whether he was fit and proper to use or own firearms.
"In that regard we found the evidence against him far from convincing," Mr Ford stated.
"We had very little material on the evidence given by the witnesses against the applicant, nor were any of these witnesses called at the hearing to give evidence.
". . . we note that the fact that a police officer has been investigated or charged by ESD is not of itself a matter that can be given much weight, if only because of the presumption of innocence."
Mr Ford described Sgt Robb, 32, as a "credible witness who produced ample evidence of good character".
February 27, 2003, Thursday
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 11
LENGTH: 443 words
HEADLINE: Suspended policeman's guns returned
BYLINE: RUSSELL ROBINSON
BODY:
A SUSPENDED police sergeant facing charges of serious assault and perverting the course of justice has won a legal battle for the return of his guns.
The Benalla officer's weapons were seized last May and his firearms licence cancelled months later after the Chief Commissioner declared him "not a fit and proper person".
About the same time he was suspended without pay after investigation of several alleged assaults by the police ethical standards department.
George Edward Robb denies the allegations and, in an offic-ial hearing last week, accused the department of soliciting complaints from people who had a grudge against him.
He told a hearing of the State Government-appointed firearms appeals committee that department investigators had offered witnesses inducements such as withdrawing or reducing criminal charges.
The committee heard changes had allegedly been made to a witness statement at the Benalla criminal investigation unit, which made things "more grey than black and white".
When interviewed again the witness gave a revised version of events to detectives from ESD, corroborating the complainant's version of events, the committee was told.
In his evidence, Sgt Robb said that as a police officer he'd been deemed a fit and proper person to be issued with a firearm and take a life in the line of duty.
"Now, I'm not fit enough to shoot a rabbit on my own land," said Sgt Robb, who owns a farming property 20km from Benalla. "It is ludicrous.
"I'm an innocent man who has been convicted of nothing," he told committee chairman Lindsay Ford.
Sgt Robb, who sits on the executive of the local Victorian Farmers' Federation branch, said he needed guns to control vermin on his drought-hit cattle, sheep and pig property, and also to put down suffering stock.
Handing down his decision this week, Mr Ford criticised the evidence led by police to support their firearms ban.
He said the committee's role was not to consider whether Sgt Robb was guilty of a criminal offence, but to ascertain whether he was fit and proper to use or own firearms.
"In that regard we found the evidence against him far from convincing," Mr Ford stated.
"We had very little material on the evidence given by the witnesses against the applicant, nor were any of these witnesses called at the hearing to give evidence.
". . . we note that the fact that a police officer has been investigated or charged by ESD is not of itself a matter that can be given much weight, if only because of the presumption of innocence."
Mr Ford described Sgt Robb, 32, as a "credible witness who produced ample evidence of good character".