Murders of Terrence and Christine Hodson
In 2004 the murders of Terrence and Christine Hodson were linked to the Melbourne Gangland murders.[1][2] Terrence Hodson had recently agreed to be a police informant, following an arrest for a robbery where his colleagues were suspected to have been two off-duty police officers. The Age reported that a secret document describing him as an informant was circulated around the Melbourne underworld shortly before the murders.
The pair were murdered on May 16, 2004, in what The Age described as "'horrific' gangland murders".[1][2] Christine Hodson is believed to have had no involvement in crime.
Hodson became a police informant in 2002, after he was arrested by drug squad detective David Miechel.[3][4] Miechel was to become Hodson's handler.
In 2003 Hodson, Miechel and another police officer, Paul Dale, were arrested for raiding a drug distribution house.[2] The weekend after the robbery Hodson's police file was stolen from police headquarters. According to The Age Dale was suspected of playing a role in Hodson's murder.
Nicola Gobbo, a criminal attorney who the Herald Sun described as "the barrister of choice for Melbourne's underworld" drafted a formal statement about serving as a courier between individuals who were in jail, and their confederates.[4] In her statement she asserted she had passed messages between Hodson, when he was in jail, and Paul Dale, who would later be charged with his murder.
A specific task force was formed to investigate the murders.[2] In 2008 authorities offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the solution of the crime.
In 2009 Paul Dale and Rodney Collins were charged with the double murder. After a significant crown witness in the case died in April 2010 [5] the charges against both men were dropped.[6] Dale remains a person of interest in the case. [7]
References
- 1 2 Chris Evans, Dan Silkstone (2004-05-01). "Police probe on gang-hit pair". The Age. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
The Victoria Police is investigating a report that secret intelligence about a police informant was leaked to the underworld two weeks before he and his wife were shot dead.
mirror - 1 2 3 4 Steve Butcher. Andrea Petrie (2008-09-11). "Williams probed in jail over Hodson murders". The Age. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
Hodson, Mr Dale and the jailed former drug squad detective David Miechel were arrested after the burglary of an East Oakleigh drug house on the weekend of the 2003 AFL grand final. Within 48 hours, a secret dossier about Hodson's activities as an informer was stolen from police headquarters. Hodson, Miechel and Mr Dale were all later charged over the drug burglary.
mirror - ↑ James Campbell (2011-10-09). "I was asked to be an informer - Terrence Hodson". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
The man making the offer is drug squad detective Dave Miechel and the deal is a simple one - turn informer and we will go easy on your family.
mirror - 1 2 James Campbell (2011-11-27). "How I taped drug squad cop Paul Dale: Nicola Gobbo". Sunday Herald Sun. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
Gobbo also claims she passed on messages between Dale and Carl Williams under the noses of the police who were trying to put them away, as well as between Dale and Terrence Hodson - a crim and police informer, who, along with his wife, was executed in May 2004.
mirror - ↑ , Gangland killer Carl Williams died at the high security Barwon Prison after being bashed several times with part of an exercise bike.
- ↑ , A former Victoria Police drug squad detective, Paul Dale left court today a free man after a murder charge against him was formally dropped. Mr Dale had been charged with the murder of Terrence Hodson. Hodson had agreed to give evidence against him in a drug case.
- ↑ , Victoria's former police chief Simon Overland says former detective Paul Dale remains a person of interest despite the withdrawal of murder charges against him.