It’s an age-old question: who watches the watchers? More precisely, in recent cases, who watches what the watchers are watching? In at least one case in New Zealand, who is allowed to even know who the watchers are that are watching things they shouldn’t?
As recently reported by The Good Oil, the lawyer for former NZ Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming was behind the push to seek an extraordinary “super injunction” that not only tried to protect the pervert copper’s name, but keep the existence of the legal action itself a secret from the public. As it happens, lawyer Linda Clark is also a board member of TVNZ and a former political editor.
It’s all a cosy little club, isn’t it? One might almost call it a ring.
To damn them with faint praise, at least Australia’s watchers aren’t trying to shield their own from public scrutiny. At least, not all the time.
A police officer has been suspended without pay after he was charged over the possession of child abuse and bestiality material, and for alleged misconduct.
Just as anaesthetists are notorious for getting high on their own supply, this creepy cop was getting his jollies by ferreting around in the evidence files where he wasn’t supposed to.
NSW Police said it began investigating reports of unauthorised access of the police computer system in March this year, before seizing the electronic devices of a senior constable in May.
Mitchell Leslie, 38, was arrested on Tuesday morning and refused bail to appear at Hornsby Local Court that afternoon.
It’s alleged the officer had the child abuse and bestiality material on his personal phone and laptop […]
Court documents alleged he unlawfully accessed the confidential NSW Police Force computer policing system database and unlawfully accessed restricted data.
A whole lot of restricted data.
The prosecution told the court he was in possession of “potentially over 200,000 images” of child abuse material.
This is just the ugly tip of this bent policeman’s record of (alleged!) corruption and criminality.
Among allegations of misconduct, Mr Leslie has been accused of protecting his current partner from being detected driving unlawfully, being “complicit” in his partner’s brother avoiding apprehension of domestic violence offences, and misusing a police vehicle.
Court documents also alleged he provided his partner with a letter on NSW Police letterhead for the Department of Communities and Justice to “assist with prioritised residence relocation”.
Unsurprisingly, he’s a little desperate to be kept out of prison.
His barrister Imogan Hogan applied for bail for reasons including that he was receiving mental health treatment and intended to be transferred to an in-patient PTSD program.
Ms Hogan raised concerns over his custody, including that he was involved in the arrests of outlaw motorcycle gang members while he was part of the Raptor Squad.
Sounds like his chances in prison will be even less than the average rockspider.
Well, dearie, dearie me.
The magistrate refused his bail application “due to the unacceptable risk”.
Oh dear, how sad.
