By 1978, his reputation was sufficient to gain convictions based on the strength of unsigned records of interviews with prisoners (known as "police verbals"). "Because he was (Clint Eastwood's) Dirty Harry," says one veteran reporter. Gao was unlikely to have had any real idea of the background of the men he was dealing with, particularly Rogerson, McNab says. In late January, 1985 Flannerys family home was sprayed with rounds from a rifle. Roger Caleb Rogerson (born 3 January 1941) is a former detective sergeant of the New South Wales Police Force, and a convicted murderer. A month into the trial, McNab realised this dark new chapter for Rogerson was no epilogue to his previous biography but a new book in the begging. He turned himself in after being spotted on surveillance, spun a story, and set up his former colleagues. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. Its a challenge that will almost certainly elude this once-celebrated detective - who will now likely die in jail. And then we bring in Jamie Gao, whos pretty much the face of what Australian criminal gangsters or wannabe gangsters look like these days: young, smart, educated, going for the big quid.. Rogerson had once been the brightest star in the New South Wales Police Force and Smith one of the heaviest criminals that Sydney has known. ROGER ROGERSON. In 2016 after the men were jailed, he met with Rogerson's solicitor Peter Katsoolis and police then began to investigate. Single mother faces 170 parking fine after overstaying at McDonald's for just 14 minutes while she treated Man had sex with his wife on bollard in protest after it had been erected by neighbour to stop him parking What will the next pandemic be? Smith insisted the pair became partners in crime. The man said he suspected it might have been the gun used in the murder of Mr Gao. Rogerson, now 80, was in Long Bay's aged and frail unit last Wednesday when a prison officer told him 76-year-old Smith had died in the jail hospital. The latter are alleged to. But if you take a step back from all that charm, youve got a very nasty bit of goods racist, a homophobe, a misogynist, a cruel man and a man of extraordinary greed who will let nothing get in the way of what he wants.. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Blue Murder will appear in two parts, beginning at 8.30pm on Sunday on Channel 7. He even bragged of a close encounter with singer Dame Shirley Bassey, after allegedly nabbing a man who had just stolen her handbag. Published Sep 4, 2016. An inquest heard Rogerson fatally shot Lanfranchi while trying to effect an arrest, but failed to find it was done in self-defence. Rogerson and McNamara appealed against their convictions and McNamara also appealed against his sentence. [33] However, Rogerson then lodged an appeal in 2020. The jury said I didn't act in self-defence. Children drinking PINTS and the King riding in a 14-wheel golden HGV - this is Kate and Prince William 'are keen' for Prince George to have official role in King Charles' coronation - but Royally hard work! According to his girlfriend, Sallie-Anne Huckstep, who pursued the matter through the media, Lanfranchi was unarmed and carrying A$10,000 (5,200, $7,350) - money which was never found. [19], Rogerson was dismissed from the NSW Police Force on 11 April 1986 (had not seen active service since his suspension on 30 November 1984 as a result of the Drury investigation). The following day her body was found floating in Busby Pond, in Centennial Park. More than one acquaintance describes Rogerson as a psychopath but the apparently remorseless killer has never undergone a psychiatric assessment of any depth, McNab says. Australia's most corrupt cop Roger Rogerson launches appeal. - In 2016, Rogerson was jailed for life for the murder of drug dealer Jamie Gao. Can the dogs of Chernobyl teach us new tricks when it comes to our own survival? An . He was part of a drug trafficking ring with notorious paedophiles including Robert Dolly Dunn and bent police. "Roger would like to see you," she said. According to Camden, the noted historian of the 16th century, this name Roger was a . Hes in his mid-60s but Roger misses being on centre stage in the criminal life so hes reconstructing his drug-dealing mates.. Smith, who survived Sydney's 1980s gang wars, had suffered from Parkinson's disease for the past four decades and spent his last 33 years behind bars. Lanfranchi was something of a wild man who shot at police and robbed other dealers, and also a standover man who worked for Sydney gangster Neddy Smith. If your parents dont have a dusty old video cassette of the original or the machine to play it on this is a must read which also includes a handbook to the real characters of the new series. Jamie Gao's . Geesche Jacobsen, Kate McClymont (21 February 2005). Rogerson served twelve months of a maximum two-and-a-half-year sentence. He could get them out of strife with the coppers, he could tell them how the coppers operated, how best to avoid things, the depth of his knowledge. Those f------ lefties at the Herald and the ABC gave me f------ heaps but I got through it," he was alleged to have said to his one-time friend. He had been at Merrylands Bowling Club the night Huckstepp was killed, and said he had never told Smith it would be 'best to get rid of Croft'. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Neddy Smith stood trial for her murder, but was acquitted. McNab took it as a measure of the enduring chilling effect of Rogersons reputation. [22][failed verification] Following his release from prison in 2006, Rogerson resumed his entertainment career with Mark "Jacko" Jackson by appearing in a show called The Wild Colonial Psychos with Jackson and Mark "Chopper" Read. Im not the only visitor outside his circle of family and friends. McNamara had argued that would have convinced the jury that Rogerson shot Gao and he was under duress when he helped dispose of the body. The exchange had the writer looking over his shoulder for a few days, which he notes is the art of the threat. [21], On 17 February 2005, Rogerson and his wife, Anne Melocco, were convicted of lying to the 1999 Police Integrity Commission. He will get that chance over coming days. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. He grumbles about the attention but relishes telling old stories to a fresh audience. New South Wales Crown prosecutor Christopher Maxwell QC told the hearing in the NSW Supreme Court, life sentences have been applied in the past for contract killings. All times AEDT (GMT +11). On 6 June 1984, Flannery was allegedly the shooter who fired two rounds through the kitchen window of the home of Sydney Drug Squad detective, Michael Mick Drury. [20], After leaving the force, Rogerson worked in the building and construction industry as a supplier of scaffolding. Rogerson and fellow former detective Glen McNamara were caught on CCTV removing Gaos body in a surfboard bag from a storage facility. Rogerson and Smith's joint exploits were immortalised in the award-winning 1995 television series Blue Murder and their notorious association helped eventually bring each man down. Roger Rogerson, 80, was in Long Bay's aged and frail unit last Wednesday when a prison officer told him his longtime accomplice turned enemy Neddy Smith had died in the jail hospital aged 76. He became involved in a violent Sydney gang war over the heroin trade and Flannery tried to align himself with Neddy Smith. Pictured left to right are Gary Sweet playing hitman Chris Flannery, Peter Phelps as Henry, Richard Roxburgh as detective Roger Rogerson and Tony Martin as Smith, Rogerson has always maintained Smith was no more than a valuable informant for the Armed Hold-Up Squad. Property News:House prices in some school catchments explode by up to $367,000 - domain.com.au, Your web browser is no longer supported. Following the shooting, Huckstepp became an anti-police corruption whistleblower. Smith's final downfall had begun in October 1987 when he and another criminal killed tow truck diver Ronald Flavell during a road rage incident at Coogee. This included auctioning signed photos of himself standing near Lanfranchi's dead body. Justice Geoffrey Bellew was satisfied the men formed an agreement to kill so they could steal the 2.78 kilograms of methamphetamine he was going to supply them. Inside Prince Harry's finances from when he met Meghan Markle to landing 100M with Netflix and book Spare 'Why the last-minute delay?' Rogerson, McNamara 'should be jailed for life' over Gao murder, Rogerson, McNamara jailed for life for murder of Jamie Gao, Canberra coach Ricky Stuart slams NRL, RLPA following further concussion controversy, 'How dare they': Possum Magic author hits out at 'ridiculous' Roald Dahl edits, 'Dastardly and heinous crime': Philippines governor killed at home by unknown gunmen, Vanuatu hit by two cyclones and twin earthquakes in two days, Emily was studying law when she had to go to court. Still, it fascinates me that Rogers career was brought to an end by a 20-year-old Asian kid with an education.. [14][15], The Peter Mitchell Award was presented to Rogerson in 1980 for the arrest of escaped armed robber Gary Purdey. Discover your rider rating - how many one-star reviews do Take care of your gut and it will take care of you: Could these 'friendly' bacteria transform your gut Are YOU eating the right colours? While Rogerson was locking up - and sometimes shooting dead - crooks in the 1970s and 1980s, Smith was distributing heroin and pulling off major armed robberies. Rogerson, 79, appeared in the Court of Criminal Appeal via video link, dressed in a prison issued green tracksuit and seated beside a walker. What Rogerson didn't mention to me during my two visits was that his time to appeal was gone. Roger Rogerson leaves a court hearing in 2014. Glen McNamara, 60, also watched proceedings remotely. April 2000: He was Australia's most notorious cop.A real-life Dirty Harry who finally crossed the line and finished in jail. All the benefits of simply switching from white to brown - AND how purple, Why is Britain experiencing so many earthquakes? Delving deep again into a signal event in Rogersons past the 1981 shooting of heroin dealer Warren Lanfranchi, which began the coppers original fall from grace he tracked down a man believed to have witnessed the event as a teenager on the street. .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}Plunkett, Geoff (2018). News Limited reported Thursday that police four years ago investigated claims Woodward was killed and buried in sand hills behind a beach south of Sydney. McNamara is yet to make any submissions. [16] During the inquest, the coroner found Rogerson was acting in the line of duty, but a jury declined to find he had acted in self-defence. The men were due for trial in the Supreme Court on 20 July 2015. As the Seven Network prepares to air the shows sequel Blue Murder: Killer Cop this weekend, news.com.au has prepared a guide to what you need to know from the original. BLUE Murder was the original true crime TV blockbuster with scenes so shockingly thrilling about the lives of Sydneys cops and gangsters that it was a hit even while it was still banned. [11] Rogerson attended Bankstown Central School and later Homebush Boys High School. McPherson was a standover man who probably committed or commissioned more murders than any other major organised figure. The prospect of an appeal still drives him, despite the court having denied him the ability to do so. First introduced by the Norman-French at the Invasion of England in 1066, it was originally a baptismal personal name Rogier. Rogerson wanted me to tell him the 'real' McNamara story the one the jury didnt hear. They dont reminisce over a cup of tea and a Scotch Finger. When Lanfranchi stepped out of the car, Rogerson shot him dead, claiming self defence. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' He is pictured in 1980. He had been due to testify in a major drugs trial and alleged that Rogerson offered him a bribe to protect a Melbourne drug dealer. His defence is trying to establish he wasn't part of the agreement to kill or rob the victim. The outcome is now both history and the script line for Blue Murder: Killer Cop, which debuts Part 1 on Sunday, August 6. But Justice Bell said the Crown had established a circumstantial case against the men. With Rogerson dismissed from the force in 1986 and Smith's other police friends no longer able to help, he was refused bail and spent the rest of his life in jail. Had Jamie been a little bit more dexterous in the use of Google he might actually have not gone to that deal, he says. [35][36][37], Soon after the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub fire on 8 March 1973, Sydney detectives Roger Rogerson and Detective Sergeant Noel Morey were called to Brisbane to assist in the investigation. Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara lose appeal over Jamie Gao's murder. [13], Rogerson worked on some of the biggest cases of the early 1970s, including the Toecutter Gang Murder and the Whiskey Au Go Go Fire in Brisbane. They also were jailed for plotting to steal 2.78 kilograms of methamphetamine from the drug dealer. But I suspect there are a lot more, McNab says. Rogerson, 80, and McNamara, 62, were jailed for . The death of Lanfranchi, whose girlfriend was heroin-addicted prostitute turned police corruption whistleblower, was ruled in the line of duty. He was also a man who possibly, if you were locked up, could walk up to arresting police and crack a deal for you, either through payment of money or say to the copper, by the way, Ive got a brief [compromising information] on you. In the pre-digital era, illegal bootleg video cassettes of Blue Murder I and II were jealously guarded, surreptitiously leant and massively copied. It is one thats shatteringly at odds with Rogersons public rebirth as a genial rogue through his regular media commentary and improbable stints on the stand up comedy circuit with Mark Chopper Read under the banner of the Wild Colonial Psychos. Drury spent 12 days in a coma, but survived. Smith was by then a pariah in the underworld and despised by the detectives he said had allowed him to make millions of dollars from dealing heroin and staging armed robberies. Dont watch it before reading this. Blindsided: Stars affair rocks hit show, Reality star sent to jail over secret sex tape. Former detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Jamie Gao. There are three known killings directly attributed to Rogerson: Gao and the on duty shootings of Lanfranchi and would-be armed robber Lawrence Byrne in 1977. Former detective Roger Rogerson, 80, was in Long Bay's aged and frail unit when a prison officer told him Smith had died in the jail hospital. He was released from Kirkconnell Correctional Centre on 17 February 2006. I dismissed it as bluster, but nonetheless looked over my shoulder for the next few days. "I guess I thought about it a lot from the start but I wanted to put it out of my mind," he said. "I shot Lanfranchi twice, once in the neck and then one in the chest. Over the past year, detectives have been talking to him about the 1975 murder of Perth brothel madam Shirley Finn and the 1973 Whiskey Au Go Go fire in Brisbane. [19] He was subsequently convicted of perverting the course of justice in relation to A$110,000 deposited by him in bank accounts under a false name. Given the lead role of Rogerson, brave cop and bad cop rolled into one, Roxburgh played the Roger on the move, taking care of Sydneys most dangerous and violent criminals. Made in 1995, by the time all the court cases, ICAC and royal commission hearings about the cops and crims had been cleared for the ABC to broadcast in 2001, countless people had watched it. Rogerson, now 80, was in Long Bay's aged and frail unit last Wednesday when a prison officer told him 76-year-old Smith had died in the jail hospital. Credit: Daniel Munoz. Married to his then wife Debra, with whom he had four children, the physically imposing Smith is both a wiley gangster and a big-hearted family man. Rogerson, played by Roxburgh, and Neddy Smith (Tony Martin) in a famous scene from the first Blue Murder in which crook and cop enjoy the spoils of crime. On February 6, 1986 she told her flat mate that she would be back home shortly after an evening phone call. Smiths loving family and his ex-wife Debra, with whom he has remained friends, have continued to visit him in prison, where the 72-year-old is set to die without being released. Rogerson, who. Rogerson is known to most Australians as a prominent, recurring figure in the country's efforts to eradicate corrupt crime fighters. DISGRACED ex-cops Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara have been jailed for life for the drug murder of student Jamie Gao. But it has emerged that neither Rogerson nor McNamara has formally lodged appeals. Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Rogerson, 75, has taken a job as the prison sweeper, which involves general cleaning duties like emptying bins and mopping floors, at the Kevin Waller Unit for aged and frail inmates. During the Gao trial, McNamara alleged Rogerson confessed to him of complicity in the killings of heroin dealers Alan Williams and Luton Chu, as well as Lanfranchis partner Sallie-Anne Huckstepp. In 1986, Huckstepp, also a sex worker, was found dead in a pond in central Sydney's Centennial Park. A Sydney prostitute, Lyn Woodward, later vanished within hours of giving evidence in the case. The Court of Criminal Appeal threw out their cases in Sydney this morning, almost five years after they were jailed for life for murdering Jamie Gao. Rogerson's record of killing has led some Australian media outlets to dub him "the serial killer who wore a badge". The request was for a chat, not an interview. While dealing narcotics he was also pulling off brazen armed robberies worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, Smith, who was once the most infamous crook in Australia, was serving life for murder. McNab was flummoxed too by the involvement of Rogersons unlikely partner in crime, a self-styled former police whistleblower and anti-drug/anti-paedophile/anti-corruption campaigner Glen McNamara. The Whiskey Au Go Go Massacre: Murder, Arson and the Crime of the Century. Both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Gao and also not guilty to supplying 2.78 kilograms (6.1 lb) of "ice"(methamphetamine). Crooks loved him. [14][dead link], Rogerson was responsible for the 1981 shooting death of Warren Lanfranchi. John Ibrahim's secret date with Rogerson. People I know whove taken him on as a mate, love his company, cant even begin to pin down why hed done this [murder Gao], McNab says. However, on 20 November 1989, Rogerson was acquitted. There was a whole coterie of men who liked Roger because Roger could do things for them, McNab says. CCTV showed both men walking into the storage unit with the drug dealer and at their trial they each blamed theother for killing him. Rogerson and another former cop, Glen McNamara, were found guilty of shooting Gao inside a west Sydney storage . Brash and boastful to friends and the media, Rogerson has been involved in a litany of crimes and misadventures which have repeatedly thrust him into the spotlight, and which led to the production of a TV mini-series about him called Blue Murder. Now a frail old man, Rogerson's sentencing brings down the curtain on a story that, for better or worse, has written itself into Australia's modern mythology. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/roger-rogerson-glen-mcnamara-lose-appeal-murder/100298452, Australia's biggest drug bust: $1 billion worth of cocaine linked to Mexican cartel intercepted, 'Pincers are closing': Ukrainian forces under pressure as Russians shell roads out of Bakhmut, Four in hospital after terrifying home invasion by gang armed with machetes, knives, hammer, 'We have got the balance right': PM gives Greens' super demands short shrift, Crowd laughs as Russia's foreign minister claims Ukraine war 'was launched against us', The tense, 10-minute meeting that left Russia's chief diplomat smoking outside in the blazing sun, 'Celebrity leaders': Mike Pompeo, Nikki Haley take veiled jabs at Donald Trump in CPAC remarks. Violent and sinister characters populate the script: Neddy Smith, played by Tony Martin, is the charismatic big man of Sydneys gangland. ISBN9781925675443. ), English footballer; Stan Rodgerson (1894-1955), Australian rules footballer; See also. McNamara argued his life sentence was excessive but Justice Bell said it was justified given the murder was a cold-blooded execution. As a former NSW detective, I met Rogerson regularly when we were both stationed at the Criminal Investigation Branch headquarters. [39] The journalist has refused to discuss the matter. He says McNamara wasnt a hero cop whose career was ruined by his battle against corruption that was a fiction he created. Stunning new image reveals rare glimpse at oldest known supernova, Shane Warnes children remember cricket legend on first anniversary of his death, The real reason boys and men join gangs: Its a world of violence, Desperate Aussies are turning to Facebook Marketplace but this one act could cost $11,000, Teenager fighting for life after hit-and-run north of Brisbane, Viewers done with living in Australia after battle with Huntsman spider caught on camera, Man charged over alleged sexual assault of woman at popular Melbourne lake, Warning as thousands of Aussies try DIY teeth whitening. [26] On 21 January 2015, he and his co-accused, Glen McNamara (also a former police detective), were committed to stand trial over the alleged murder. Followed categories will be added to My News. Smith was born in 1944 and was a major criminal, involved particularly in armed robbery, heroin trafficking, and murder. But the whiff of suspicion persists that Rogerson had a hand in at least seven others. Late last year, as Rogerson languished in a cell in the geriatric unit of Sydneys Long Bay jail over the Gao murder, I received a call from his wife Anne. Stephen Bear, who starred in several seasons of reality TV shows aired in Australia, has been jailed for 21 months for sharing a sex tape. Tony Martin is pictured left playing Smith and Richard Roxburgh as Rogerson in the television series Blue Murder. Rogerson is pictured in 2004. Theres just something horribly wrong with Rogers head. Ive never seen a man more terrified in my life, he says. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. NSW News. Rogerson joined the New South Wales (NSW) police in 1959, aged 18. Welcome to the Coronation! . In 1984, Flannery moved his family up to Sydney and went to work as a bodyguard for crime figure George Freeman. Unlike the remains of lawyer Brian Alexander, which has never been found, Gaos body wrapped in a blue tarpaulin bobbed to the surface off Cronulla beach in May, 2014. Both pleaded not guilty in January 2015. The Court of Criminal Appeal threw out their cases in Sydney this morning, almost five years after they were jailed for life for murdering Jamie Gao. It was also alleged that Rogerson gave heroin dealer and underworld killer Arthur Stanley Neddy Smith the green light to commit crimes, in exchange for being an informant and a slice of the heroin trade. "It alleged both men were part of a plan to steal drugs from the deceased and kill him," he said. But Drury believed the shocking truth that Rogerson was involved, and could only publicly admitted it after the disgraced detective was convicted for Jamie Gaos murder in late 2016. He was released on appeal after nine months, but in 1992 that appeal was quashed and he was re-imprisoned until 1995. CONDEMNED to spend the rest of his days behind bars, disgraced detective turned convicted killer Roger Rogerson will be held in an aged care wing where he regularly conducts singalongs, to stop him becoming a godfather-type figure to young inmates, prison sources have revealed. Christopher Dale Flannery. In the company of 18 other police officers, Rogerson waited in the lane. Tim Anderson, one of the three released in 1985, claimed the confession Rogerson extracted was fabricated, and that he and two other members of the Ananda Marga group were convicted in part because of Rogerson's fabrications. Rogerson was welcomed in Bandidos and Rebels clubhouses across the country and was regularly seen briefing queues of bikies in coffee shops. His doctor, the prominent Sydney medico Geoffrey Edelsten, gave him a medical certificate saying he was unfit to go to trial for the Sydney murder. Roger Rogerson was jailed for life for the 2014 murder of student Jamie Gao. Three years later he was tried for conspiring with hitman Christopher Dale Flannery to murder Drury. Recorded as Roger, Rodger, Rojer, and the patronymics Rogers, Rodgers, Rodgerson, Rodson, Roddison, Rogerson and others, this is an Anglo-Scottish surname, but one of French origins. 00:55. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Low income Aussies and pensioners could be forced out of homes, Tens of thousands flock to Bondi for one-off dance party, Major traffic chaos warning for Sydney across busiest weekend in years. It was an offer I couldnt refuse, and Mrs Rogerson assured me hed be on his best behaviour. To improve your experience, Corrupt cops Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara are contemplating a lifetime behind bars after losing their. Rogerson, 79, appeared in the Court of Criminal . One was the murder in company of tow truck driver, Ronnie Flavell and the other of brothel owner Harvey Jones. He had the politicians knack about him, the charm to work a room, says McNab. It would take years for the police to get serious about bringing its shiniest (though far from its only) rotten apple undone. 'He did mention that he probably would have been dead long before if he hadn't been in jail but that's about it,' Ms Melocco said. "Oh it's a little f------ beauty isn't it Oh and by the way, don't tell Roger about this," the witness alleged McNamara said. On appeal Rogerson called a new witness, who told the court he picked up what he thought was a gun wrapped in a towel from a doorstep in the months before the murder. After his latest conviction, he is expected to spend the rest of his life in jail. Melocco was sentenced to two years' periodic detention for the same offence. The Dodger had brought a whole new network of people who knew Rogerson out of the woodwork. Rogerson emerged fresh from the killing at an old mates' lunch club at a Sydney pub having invited some unfamiliar guests: a well-known boxer with two bikies in tow. Former Sydney detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara have lost an appeal against their convictions for murdering a drug dealer. The pair could often be found drinking with other police and criminals at inner-city pubs includingAlexandria's Star and Iron Duke, the Captain Cook at Millers Point and the Lord Wolseley in Ultimo. Rogerson has always maintained from that time on Smith was no more than a valuable informant for the Armed Hold-Up Squad. He was the master of the police verbal, an unsigned confession from a suspect, and operated in an era later classified as corrupt. Lawyers for both Rogerson and McNamara indicated they would appeal against the sentence. In 1984, Duncan McNab was a New South Wales police internal affairs investigator when a deathbed statement from undercover drug cop Michael Drury came across his bosss desk. Disgraced former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng said he lived through "absolute hell" during a six-month stint in a Malaysian prison riddled with vermin and disease, according to .