Nexus - 1304 - New Times Magazine-pages

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It is interesting that while McKenna's account of the man's 1996, Bryant's hair is very clearly brownish with blond highlights conversation was widely quoted—he talked about European and streaks. [Photo B] Further doubts about the whiteness of WASPs and Japanese tourists—her description of his face was not. Bryant's hair are raised by the news footage showing Bryant Perhaps this is because in no photo does Bryant seem to have _ arriving at the Royal Hobart Hospital. In frames from this video bushy eyebrows or prominent ears (indeed, his ears seem to be on — footage—the last images of the accused man ever captured—it is the small side). Bryant's most memorable facial characteristic is, apparent that he had brownish hair with blond streaks, rather than in fact, a broad nose with a somewhat bulbous tip—a feature which —— white or "really blond" hair. (It is also obviously collar length.) is obvious from the photos, but never mentioned by any witnesses. | [Photo C] One possibility is that the real gunman had simply Although McKenna's description is uniquely detailed, it is at peroxided his hair in an effort to emulate Bryant's hair, which may least partly corroborated by that of Graham Collyer who, as we _ have looked white or blond in very strong sunlight. saw, stated that the shooter's complexion was acne-scarred. However, Bryant's complexion is perfectly smooth, as all available Bryant identified as the gunman? photographs show. In particular, the In terms of the allegation that the photos taken at Richmond by Petra witnesses have identified Bryant as the Wilmott three days before the massacre Of the 40-odd persons man they saw shooting at the PAHS, the show a healthy, ruddy face. . . most serious difficulties are raised by McKenna's description of the who survived the shootings Jim Laycock in his statement. Laycock gunman's height is certainly odd: she Aol is of outstanding importance in this case, makes an estimate of the gunman's inside the Broad Arrow as he is the one and only witness who height that gives an exact figure Café, only afew provided observed the gunman in the act and ("approximately 173 cm"). It would be A Aa actually knew Bryant. In his police interesting to compare this most precise physical descriptions of statement, Laycock—who, as noted "estimate" with Bryant's real height, the gunman. earlier, got a good enough look at the except that nowhere on record can one man to be able to estimate his age ("low find his height specified. If McKenna's twenties")—said that he "did not figure of 173 cm is correct, though, this recognise the male as Martin Bryant". would surely raise questions about whether McKenna had been _He stated only that he saw "a blonde [sic] headed person" shoot influenced by police during the course of giving her statement. Zoe Hall and take Glenn Pears captive. Another witness, Yannis Kateros, said he had never seen the @ Hair gunman before. Yet Kateros had lived at Port Arthur since 1991, Another problem for the official story is raised by Bryant's hair. and, according to Laycock, Bryant had visited the PAHS on about The photos taken at Richmond show that it was wavy throughout, —_a dozen occasions in the five-year period between about 1991 and not "fairly straight with a bit of a wave in it" as Pearce stated. Yet 1995. most witnesses said that the gunman's hair was straight, with a At least two other witnesses have also stated that Bryant was not wave only at the bottom. Witness statements fluctuate between the gunman. These are PAHS Information Centre employee those that said his hair was collar-length and those that stated that | Wendy Scurr, who, according to one report, saw the gunman inside it went down to his shoulders. the centre immediately prior to the attack, and Vietnam War The aforementioned photos of Bryant taken at Richmond raise —_ veteran John Godfrey, who was waiting outside the centre when questions about his hair colour. According to one witness, a Mr __ the shooting commenced. Godfrey viewed the gunman twice. He Woods, the gunman stood out by virtue of his "white surfie hair saw him drive by and saw him put a bag into the boot of his car. and clothes". Yet in the 25 April 1996 portrait of Bryant that was "In my opinion the picture I saw in the newspapers was not the featured on the cover of Who Weekly magazine on 2 November _ same person," he stated in his police statement taken on 7 June 1996, Bryant's hair is very clearly brownish with blond highlights and streaks. [Photo B] Further doubts about the whiteness of Bryant's hair are raised by the news footage showing Bryant arriving at the Royal Hobart Hospital. In frames from this video footage—the last images of the accused man ever captured—it is apparent that he had brownish hair with blond streaks, rather than white or "really blond" hair. (It is also obviously collar length.) [Photo C] One possibility is that the real gunman had simply peroxided his hair in an effort to emulate Bryant's hair, which may have looked white or blond in very strong sunlight. Of the 40-odd persons who survived the shootings inside the Broad Arrow | Café, only a few provided physical descriptions of the gunman. - Hair Another problem for the official story is raised by Bryant's hair. The photos taken at Richmond show that it was wavy throughout, not "fairly straight with a bit of a wave in it" as Pearce stated. Yet most witnesses said that the gunman's hair was straight, with a wave only at the bottom. Witness statements fluctuate between those that said his hair was collar-length and those that stated that it went down to his shoulders. The aforementioned photos of Bryant taken at Richmond raise questions about his hair colour. According to one witness, a Mr Woods, the gunman stood out by virtue of his "white surfie hair and clothes". Yet in the 25 April 1996 portrait of Bryant that was featured on the cover of Who Weekly magazine on 2 November Photo B: Close-up of the Martin Bryant photo, headlined "Australian Psycho", on the cover of Who Weekly (2 Nov 1996) Photo C: Video still photo (left) of Martin Bryant arriving at Royal Hobart Hospital on the morning of 29 April 1996. JUNE — JULY 2006 NEXUS = 13 www.nexusmagazine.com