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Palm Island resident Terrence Kidner... he told the court Lex Wotton ordered him to torch Snr Sgt Chris Hurley's home. |
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LEX WOTTON TRIAL: Wotton ordered Palm man to burn Hurley's house down, court hears
ISSUE 164 - 16 Oct 2008
NATIONAL, October 15, 2008: A Palm Island resident who doused Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley's police residence in petrol before it was set alight has told a Brisbane court that Lex Wotton gave him a drum of fuel and ordered him to torch the home.
Mr Wotton is appearing in the Brisbane District Court accused of rioting with destruction following the November 2004 uprising on Palm Island when the local police station, courthouse and a police home were torched. It was sparked by the death in custody of Mulrunji Doomadgee, who had been arrested by Snr Sgt Hurley on the morning of November 19.
Within an hour of his arrest, Mr Doomadgee lay dead on the floor of a police cell, having suffered massive internal injuries including a severed liver.
Mr Wotton - a former councillor on the island - stands accused of leading the ensuing riot. Palm resident Terrence Kidner was the fifth witness to give evidence in the trial His testimony was at times very difficult to follow. Mr Kidner has a very thick Aboriginal accent, and is man of few words.
He told that court that Mr Wotton gave him a red tin containing petrol and ordered him to torch the home, shortly before he saw Mr Wotton talking with police. Mr Kidner said he felt he had to obey Mr Wotton.
“I had no choice. Lexie told me. He said go burn it. I was just a bit shaken,” Mr Kidner said.
He told the court that he poured the petrol into Snr Sgt Hurley's residence through a broken window, and that another man lit the fire.
He said, however, that some Palm residents had falsely accused him of other things during the riot, and that he “played the same game” and gave a statement to police. However he denied a suggestion that he had lied about Mr Wotton to try and lessen his role in the riot.
Mr Kidner acknowledged he was frightened of police, and that he had a discussion with Det Sgt Darren Robinson prior to giving a statement.
During cross examination, Mr Kidner admitted to drinking “a carton of beer” and a cask of moselle on the morning of the riot, but later told the court that he had only consumed “a few” of the beers.
“I wasn't that drunk. Just a bit tipsy,” he said.
However, Mr Kidner also gave testimony that favoured Mr Wotton. He told the court that as tensions escalated, the accused had ordered a large mob of people - of which Mr Kidner was a part - - to stop throwing stones at police, adding that Mr Wotton “told everyone to go home”.
He added: “[Lex] was trying to get the truth out of the police.” And also: “The man [Mulrunji] died in custody. Everybody was upset”.
Mr Kidner also testified that he saw Lex hit two windows in the police station with “something big” that was made of steel. He said he also saw local resident David Bulsey trying to restrain Mr Wotton.
The trial continues. Police witnesses are expected to give evidence this afternoon.
 
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