Queensland Police Review
of the Investigation
In 2010, following increasing community unease and pressure from various parties, in particular Greg Carey of Radio 4BC and a newspaper article of April 2010, then Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson agreed to a review of the case.
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27 April 2010. DPP Prosecutor REFUSES to prosecute
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Police Commissioner Atkinson promised:
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A complete and thorough review of the evidence;
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Complete transparency;
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To make the finished report public.
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7 July 2010. Courier Mail Police Media Release
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I was asked to make submissions. I referred police to the book I had co-authored and advised that all the evidence I had uncovered was reported on in the book. I invited them to tell me which items they were investigating and I would provide notes and findings. The budget for the review apparently did not extend to purchasing a copy of the book and the investigators were using a copy obtained from the public library. I provided them with 2 copies to assist them.
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Another written submission I made was with respect to a current serving senior police officer. I recommended that the officer be given indemnity from criminal prosecution with respect to offences including perjury, tampering with evidence, and perverting the course of justice. (These offences carry up to 14 years imprisonment).
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Concerns that serving police would be investigating allegations of misconduct by other serving police were brushed aside.
The review was completed some 2 years later, in 2012. During that period I was never consulted again regarding any further matter. My numerous requests for progress or information were refused outright. No investigator interviewed Graham Stafford. No person assisting Graham Stafford was interviewed. There was a newspaper report to the effect the kitchen at 70A Alice St was dismantled for the purpose of further DNA testing. This was despite that there was significant and repeated evidence the murder did not and could not have occurred in that house. The definitive work on that crime scene is covered by Forensic Scientist Leo Freney. As far as we are aware his evidence was ignored.
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The final report was never made public. Repeated requests to release the report have been refused. Continued efforts through the courts to gain access to the report have been vigorously contested by the Queensland Police Service and/or DPP.
In the words of Assistant Commissioner Mike Condon there was not ‘a scintilla of evidence that identified any other person in this investigation’. He went on to say there was not ‘a scintilla of evidence to implicate any person identified in any information made public’.
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23 August 2012. COP letter to DPP
20 December 2012. Police media release (video)
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In the same media interview, Mr Condon commented that the relatives of the deceased had been contacted. “They’re disappointed Graham Stafford will not be retried’. This appears at odds with the below newspaper report from 19 November 2006. Perhaps their opinion had changed.
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19 November 2006. Holland relatives speak out in support of Stafford
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Other recent media reports (2016) include:
Daniel Morcombe and Mike Condon.
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The arresting officer of Graham Stafford in 1991 was Detective Sgt Graham Richards. There were numerous corroborated claims of misconduct by Richards with a convicted criminal, including the criminal attending crime scene two at the time Leanne Holland’s body was found. (He later served 7 years imprisonment for incest of his two daughters). The children went on the record claiming their father murdered Leanne Holland. It is not known if these claims were investigated nor the reason explained why a person with a lengthy criminal record (or any criminal record for that matter) would be at a murder scene.
Det. Sgt. Richards went on to be transferred to Rockhampton Criminal Investigation Branch, where Mike Condon was coincidentally also attached.
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Richards was later the subject of criminal charges and controversy dogged him for years until his retirement from the Queensland Police service. The criminal charges against him were subsequently dropped when the exhibits in the case went missing from the Crime & Misconduct exhibit room.
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22 June 2007. Adverse media reports
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