Whistleblower Cop a Zealot: Nsw Inquiry

7 News
June 26, 2013

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/17757523/whistleblower-cop-a-zealot-nsw-inquiry/

The police whistleblower whose allegations helped trigger an inquiry into alleged child sex abuse by NSW priests has been described as a lying zealot.

Newcastle police crime manager Wayne Humphrey told the inquiry on Wednesday he lodged a formal complaint against Detective Chief inspector Peter Fox in 2011 because he suspected him of leaking confidential information to the media, and he was obliged to complain under police operating guidelines.

Detective Chief Inspector Humphrey said he and another senior officer searched Det Insp Fox's office when he was away on leave in 2011 because he had been directed by another senior officer to locate a document related to allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.

The special commission is examining the way police and Maitland/Newcastle diocese leaders handled child sexual abuse allegations, particularly involving priests Denis McAlinden and James Fletcher.

Det Insp Fox has alleged that diocese officials covered up crimes and were aided by a "Catholic mafia" within police ranks.

Det Insp Humphrey denied Det Insp Fox had been shut out of investigations into the alleged concealment of child sex abuse by priests.

He said Det Insp Fox was a "zealot" who told lies.

Under cross examination, Det Insp Humphrey acknowledged he and Det Insp Fox were not close.

"Clearly now I don't think we'll be holding hands and skipping down the street," he said.

"(But) it's a nonsense to suggest that this is a personal issue."

In Tuesday's evidence, however, Det Insp Humphrey said he bore no animosity to Det Insp Fox and described him as a "good detective, a very senior police officer and I have no problem with his work at all."

Det Insp Humphrey said that while his parents were practising Catholics and he had attended a Catholic primary school he was "certainly not" a practising Catholic, didn't like going to church and had not christened his children in the Catholic tradition.

The hearing continues.