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Acting Inspector Roger Whyte... testified that Lex Wotton repeatedly threatened to kill him. |
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LEX WOTTON TRIAL: Court resumes, with police witnesses still to come
ISSUE 164 - 16 Oct 2008
By Chris Graham
IN BRISBANE
NATIONAL, October 20, 2008: The trial of alleged Palm Island rioter Lex Wotton resumes in Brisbane District Court this morning.
There are five Crown witnesses left to testify, all of them police officers who were present on Palm when the local station, courthouse and a police residence were torched.
The uprising was in response to the death in custody of Mulrunji Doomadgee, a local resident who was arrested for public nuisance on the morning of November 19, 2004 and found dead on the cell of the watchhouse an hour later.
Mulrunji died from massive internal injuries - four of his ribs were broken, his portal vein was torn and his liver was almost cleaved in two.
The community erupted a week after the death when a pathologist's report claimed that Mulrunji had sustained the injuries after falling onto a flat surface. But a coronial inquest subsequently found that the office in charge of Palm Island Police Station - Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley - had caused the death.
Snr Sgt Hurley was subsequently acquitted of manslaughter is now a police officer on the Gold Coast. Mr Wotton, who is accused of leading the riots, is facing life in prison if convicted.
The trial was scheduled to end on Friday, but it could well spill into next week. Twelve witnesses have already given evidence, including four Aboriginal women who were on the island at the time of the uprising.
The most recent witness to testify was Acting Superintendent Roger Whyte, the second most senior officer on the island at the time of the riot.
Acting Supt Whyte told the court on Friday that as tensions exploded on the island, Lex Wotton threatened to kill him several times, and feigned attacking him with two pairs of large Stiltsons (a plumber's wrench).
After hearing the police station window “explode”, Acting Supt Whyte walked outside the station and was confronted by a “very very cranky” Lex Wotton, striding towards him with the Stiltsons.
Acting Supt Whyte told the court he backed away as Mr Wotton hurled abuse.
“He said: 'There's the f**king white dog, or pig. I'm gunna kill you, you white c**t, you f**king killed him,' Acting Supt Whyte testified.
“I was back-peddling…. walking backwards briskly.”
Acting Supt Whyte said he told Mr Wotton, “Please, please drop the weapons. You'll get life. Please drop the weapons.”
He backed up into the police station garage, where Mr Wotton continued to threaten him, and feigned hitting him with the wrenches. Acting Supt Whyte said that a man known as Bulsey (local resident David Bulsey) intervened and dragged Mr Wotton away.
Supt Whyte then told the crowd: “Please go away. We're not here for a confrontation. Leave us alone.”
The previous day, the most senior office on the island at time, Inspector Brian Richardson, told the court that he was present in the garage during the confrontation. However, he testified that Mr Wotton did not use any swear words during the stand-off.
However, Inspector Richardson told the court that Mr Wotton did address the crowd, urging them to kill the police.
“He said, 'I've taken you this far. What are you? Men or women. If you want to be real men, there they are. Finish them off now. Just do it.'
“I'll never forget it.”
• NIT will bring you regular online updates from the court until a verdict is delivered.
 
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