All the other cops stayed out of sight while the bashing occured so the other prisoner was the only witness to that, and he did not have a clear view.

A few people saw the actual arrest

from the report
“The arrest of Patrick XXXXXX and Mulrunji

Gladys XXXXXX went inside to retrieve her medication. A young man, Patrick XXXXXX, was
outside the house and clearly intoxicated. He was swearing at the police and his grandmother
complained to the police about his behaviour. Senior Sergeant Hurley arrested him.

Police Liaison Officer Bengaroo told investigating police that Mulrunji had been walking past
when Patrick XXXX was being arrested. The two men knew each other. Mulrunji commented
directly to Lloyd Bengaroo, challenging him as to why he should help lock up his own people. The
indication was that Mulrunji was intoxicated. Lloyd advised him to walk down the road or he too
would be locked up. When Senior Sergeant Hurley got back in the car he asked Bengaroo what the
person had said – he clearly had not heard the conversation. When Bengaroo’s account was given,
Hurley’s response was that he would lock him up. The only additional “event� was that having
walked off down Dee Street, Mulrunji turned and swore at the police officers. Senior Sergeant
Hurley then drove down to where Mulrunji was standing and arrested him.”

The nature of Mulrunji’s punch/backhand is not known – just the nature of bruising through the autopsy. It may have been an awkward punch, or a backhand if Hurly was behind or beside him, perhaps pushing him through the door or up the stairs – we will never know.

The arrest had witnesses but all the cops stayed out of sight when the killing happened.

this is the version of the arrest that the coroner ran with http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/courts/coroner/findings/mulrunji270906.pdf

“Police Liaison Officer Bengaroo told investigating police that Mulrunji had been walking past
when Patrick Bramwell was being arrested. The two men knew each other. Mulrunji commented
directly to Lloyd Bengaroo, challenging him as to why he should help lock up his own people. The
indication was that Mulrunji was intoxicated. Lloyd advised him to walk down the road or he too
would be locked up. When Senior Sergeant Hurley got back in the car he asked Bengaroo what the
person had said – he clearly had not heard the conversation. When Bengaroo’s account was given,
Hurley’s response was that he would lock him up. The only additional “event� was that having
walked off down Dee Street, Mulrunji turned and swore at the police officers. Senior Sergeant
Hurley then drove down to where Mulrunji was standing and arrested him.”

But have never seen anyone backhand an officer. It is always a closed fist.

Perhaps Cameron Doomdadgee was exceptional in more ways than one.

If the CDEP rate isn’t enough for the participants in the “cell watch” programme, then those who feel it isn’t enough money are welcome to put their hands into their pockets & make up the difference.

Are there any witnesses to the arrest and detention of Cameron Doomadgee?

There’s no reason why a diversionary centre hadn’t already been established for people affected by alcohol or other drugs, have a properly resourced cell watch program. There are examples of this in other parts of the state. The state government could also put its mney where it’s mouth is and start paying the rent on the buildings they occupy on Palm and start giving the Council more direct control over what they can use their land for and what sorts of leases they can establish.

I’m not convinced that this is necessarily going to be a political mindfield for Beattie Labor, but it would be good if enough public pressure was created to make it one – otherwise it will subside slowly down into the status quo as time drifts on.

Reynolds has also criticised the Palm Island Grog laws and was told to pull his head in, which I am glad to see that he has not done.

Reynolds has been the only ALP member that has done or said anything of integrity on Palm Island. Beattie, Spence, Bligh and Schwarten seem to have found a comfortable consensus of sweeping the issues under the carpet. And the new minister for not-Aboriginal affairs has not yet popped his head up on these issues. Obviously a Beatie/Bligh yes-man.

With the abolition of the Department of Aboriginal and torres Strait Islander policy, which followed the abolition of the states indigenous reference group means that the Beattie/Bligh machine has now assumed a classic colonial administration of the natives.

The primary agency of indigenous policy in Qld is still the police, just like Joh’s time.

I suspect there are few coroners reports as succinct and complete as this one. All the DPP has to decide whether there is a prima facie case or not. Where is the complexity?

The only complexity is the political shannanigans of the cops, why does such politics cause complexity to routine legal procedure?

Mike Reynolds (Qld cabinet minister and member for Palm Island) criticism of govt. and police inaction is an example of how politicised this has become. A simple assessment as to whether the report warrents prosecution, that a lawyer would do in perhaps 1/2 an hour, including considering time, has become a convoluted political drama including the police union and disagreements at cabinet level.

The facts are not complex, the task is not complex. Bligh’s defence of inertia is just backing up her mates Beatie and Atkinson.

The new cell watch program was started there about 3 months ago. (Reg has been helping them)

It is relying on CDEP (work for the dole) for some of its key staff. At least one full time employee has just had his wage cut to $17k – the same as the dole – for a 38 hour week.

I asked what award they were on. The answer – what’s an award?

The cell watch program is managed on a day to day basis by the P.I. mens group. However it is controlled by the state govt. who hire and fire and most importantly provide funding for it.
Until the state can get over meaningless tokenism as a response to major crises, the crises will continue.

apart from a basic principle of a fair days pay for a fair days work, which still seems to be a value escaping state indigenous policy, this situation cannot allow for the job to be done properly if it cant even pay proper wages to staff.

In NSW we have a DPP. They are a pain! The good old days were where the police made the charges, with or without consultation with the Crown prosecutor are better!

It appears the police were not prepared to charge one of their own that dreadful evening based on evidence available! So they leave it to the DPP and trhe coroner!

I suppose the police find it more convenient to leave it to a neutral authority. I say neutral as one of their own was involved and they thought it best to leace it to others!

even if it was clearly murder or even just offensive language, the coroner is bound by new Queensland laws not to reccomend prosecution publically. Any situation, not just this one. They are allowed to make confidential submissions to the DPP independent of the public findings. Given the tone of Clememts’ report I have no doubt she has reccomended prosecution of what, on the basis of evidence, is a prima facie case of manslaughter.

I might add, a new court case cannot undoe the findings of fact from the coroner. If the cop gets off it will be on a point of law, not insufficient evidence. The facts of the matter have been set in concrete at the coroners level, which a magistrates court will rely on solely in a committal hearing.