Nexus - 1306 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

The transcript of Bryant's 4 July police interrogation shows that Hobart gun dealer Terry Hill for allegedly supplying Bryant with the initial effort was successful enough: on this occasion, Bryant the weapons and ammunition used at Port Arthur. That Avery produced a narrative of participation in the carjacking of a BMW was waiting in the wings, ready to take over from Gunson, can be at the Fortescue Bay turnoff that was uncannily similar to that inferred from his presence in the courtroom when Bryant pleaded related over the phone to police negotiator Sgt Terry McCarthy by "not guilty". Avery met with Bryant for the first time the the enigmatic "Jamie", the spokesperson for the bizarre events at following day—the day that Gunson retired from the case. Seascape Guest House that followed on the heels of the massacre. Avery proved able to do in a month what Gunson had failed to Although the crime to which Bryant "confessed" was unconnected do in five. On 7 November 1996, Bryant reversed his "not guilty" to the events at Port Arthur and almost certainly never took place _ pleas and finally, on 22 November 1996, pleaded "guilty" 72 in reality, Bryant's yarn was interpreted by the DPP as a times. The fact that on the latter occasion Bryant tittered between confession to acts actually perpetrated at a different location by his "guilty" pleas is a baffling circumstance that begs comparison the real Port Arthur gunman, i.e., the carjacking and abduction of with his previous experience on 30 September. On that occasion, a male hostage that took place outside the Port Arthur General Bryant entered "not guilty" pleas without any inappropriate Store. By ignoring the details of noises, so it is extremely strange that Bryant's "confession", the DPP— Bryant apparently tittered while Damian Bugg, QC—deceived pleading "guilty". Since one would Tasmania's Supreme Court by telling it expect the opposite—that a mass that Bryant had confessed to the acts Bryant vehemently resisted murderer declaring himself "not guilty" perpetrated by the real gunman. might do so with a certain self- However, at this early stage of the the idea that he had amusement—it is striking that Bryant game, Bryant vehemently resisted the apparently was more amused by the idea that he had perpetrated the murders perpetrated the murders iden of pleading "guilty". ‘Alternatively. at Port Arthur. He maintained that he at Port Arthur. he may have been trying to send the had not even visited the Port Arthur public a message: the sounds he made Historic Site (PAHS) on the day in to accompany his "guilty" pleas may question, and he had difficulty have been intended to help convey the understanding how the police had message that his pleas were insincere obtained a picture of a vehicle that and not to be taken at face value. seemed to be his own yellow Volvo parked at the PAHS toll gate A further circumstance that invites concern is that, having when he only recalled driving past it. Clearly, a great deal of pleaded "guilty" to all charges, Bryant was never escorted over work remained to be done before Bryant could be made to confess the crime scene to verify that he had perpetrated the criminal acts to the shootings at Port Arthur. to which he had "confessed". As researcher Joe Vialls pointed out: "Standard procedure in Avery capers these circumstances is to take the suspect out to the crime scene Bryant's first lawyer, David Gunson, failed to make any and ask for details of exactly how he committed the crime(s), i-e., headway in this respect, and on 30 September 1996 Bryant where each victim was standing, what sex, how many bullets, pleaded "not guilty" to all of the 72 charges against him. He did where the weapon was reloaded, etc., etc., all recorded on so "clearly and coolly".! Gunson resigned as Bryant's lawyer the continuous (time-stamped) video. The Victoria Police Service very next day and refused to clarify his reasons to the media. The observed this standard procedure meticulously in the case of individual who rose to the task was John Avery, who had already _—_Julian Knight at Hoddle Street during 1987, as did the New South been involved in the case as part of the police effort to frame Wales Police Service after a street shooting in Wollongong in 1998."* Such "walkthroughs" are a staple of modern criminological procedure and are invariably videotaped. Footage of this nature is often used in television crime programs, such as Forensic Investigators and similar American programs such as Body of Evidence. In short, Bryant has never corroborated his "guilty" pleas—a fact that makes them virtually worthless. How did the turnaround come about in the space of about a month? Until recently, it has been impossible to do more than guess how Bryant was finally persuaded to plead "guilty" to all charges against him. All we have had to go by is a sequence of events that looks extremely suspicious: first, Bryant stunned the Tasmanian legal establishment by refusing to plead "guilty"; second, Bryant's first lawyer retired from the case; third, Bryant acquired a new Lawyer John Avery, at his desk. lawyer, John Avery; and fourth, Bryant (Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 29 March 2006. Photo: Andrew Meares) pleaded "guilty" a month later. Three Bryant vehemently resisted the idea that he had at Port Arthur. Avery capers Bryant's first lawyer, David Gunson, failed to make any headway in this respect, and on 30 September 1996 Bryant pleaded "not guilty" to all of the 72 charges against him. He did so "clearly and coolly".! Gunson resigned as Bryant's lawyer the very next day and refused to clarify his reasons to the media. The individual who rose to the task was John Avery, who had already been involved in the case as part of the police effort to frame Lawyer John Avery, at his desk. (Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 29 March 2006. Photo: Andrew Meares) 12 = NEXUS perpetrated the murders www.nexusmagazine.com OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2006