Roger Rogerson | |
|---|---|
 Rogerson leaving the Supreme Court in June 2016 | |
| Born | 3 January 1941 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 21 January 2024 (aged 83) Randwick, New South Wales, Australia |
| Other names | Roger the Dodger[1] |
| Occupation | Detective |
| Employer | New South Wales Police |
| Criminal status | Deceased during incarceration |
| Spouse(s) | Joy Archer Anne Melocco |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Peter Mitchell Award |
| Conviction(s) | Murder, drug trafficking, perverting the course of justice |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
Roger Caleb Rogerson (3 January 1941 – 21 January 2024) was an Australian detective sergeant in the New South Wales Police Force and a convicted murderer.[2][3] During his career, Rogerson received at least thirteen awards for bravery, outstanding policemanship and devotion to duty,[4][5] before being implicated in two killings, bribery, assault and drug dealing,[6] and then being dismissed from the force in 1986.
Rogerson was also known for his association with other New South Wales detectives who are reputed to have been corrupt, including Ray "Gunner" Kelly and Fred Krahe, and also with several organised crime figures, including Abe Saffron,[7] Christopher Dale Flannery, and Arthur "Neddy" Smith. Smith was a convicted heroin dealer, rapist and armed robber who claimed Rogerson gave him the "green light" to commit crimes in New South Wales, while Flannery specialised in contract killing.[8]
In 1999, Rogerson was convicted of perverting the course of justice and lying to the Police Integrity Commission, and in May 2014, Rogerson and fellow former NSW detective Glen McNamara were charged with the murder of 20-year-old student Jamie Gao, and taking his supply of drugs. Both pleaded not guilty in January 2015. Their trial was started in July 2015, but was aborted when McNamara's barrister Charles Waterstreet made a reference to Rogerson "killing two or three people when he was in the police force".[9][10] Following a retrial, both Rogerson and McNamara were found guilty of murder.[2] In September 2016, both were sentenced to life for the murder of Gao.
- ^ "Roger Rogerson: A life of crime and comedy". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- ^ a b Partridge, Emma (15 June 2016). "Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara found guilty of the murder of Jamie Gao". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Disgraced former detective Roger Rogerson arrested at Sydney home, charged over alleged Jamie Gao murder". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ Investigation into the relationship between Police and Criminals: First Report (PDF). Independent Commission Against Corruption. February 1994. ISBN 0-7310-2910-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2005. Retrieved 25 February 2006.
- ^ Rogerson, Roger (3 April 2008). "Q&A with Roger Rogerson". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 March 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2007.
- ^ A bizarre twist has Rogerson answering questions of murder. The Northern Star, 31 May 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2016
- ^ Taylor, Grant. The Weekend West, 20–21 February 2016, p.9. "[A former WA detective said] he was introduced to Mr Rogerson [in June 1975] at the Raffles Hotel in Applecross just days after Shirley Finn [a Perth brothel keeper] was killed. Drinking with Mr Rogerson at the Raffles was [Perth vice-squad head] Bernie Johnson and Saffron"
- ^ Fontaine, Angus (23 January 2024). "Roger Rogerson: the 'icon of the force' who became the 'best policeman money could buy'". The Guardian.
- ^ Jury discharged in trial of Roger Rogerson, Glen McNamara for Jamie Gao murder The Sydney Morning Herald 28 July 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- ^ Partridge, Emma; Hall, Louise (15 June 2016). "What the Rogerson jury didn't hear". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 January 2017.