Crooked West Australian police stood down

See an earlier post here of Feb., 22nd

West Australian Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan has stood down five police officers involved in the original investigation into the unsolved murder of Pamela Lawrence in 1994. The commissioner said today the move was an attempt at good governance, while police examine new and vital evidence in the case. "I am very confident they haven't compromised the inquiry already," Commissioner O'Callaghan said. Ms Lawrence was brutally murdered in her jewellery store in the Perth suburb of Mosman Park. Andrew Mallard, who served 11 years in jail for the murder has always professed his innocence. He was released from jail after a High Court ordered a re-trial which state prosecutors in WA said they would not proceed with, because they feared their evidence was no longer admissible. Police today said they would not comment on their earlier claims that Mr Mallard was still a prime suspect.

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And the W.Australian police finally get off their fat behinds and look for the real offender

Police have launched a nationwide probe into the 1994 murder of a Perth jeweller, after finding significant new evidence. The fresh lead and a new person of interest have been identified by officers reviewing the murder of Pamela Lawrence, after the High Court quashed the conviction last year of Andrew Mark Mallard, 43. Mr Mallard was released in February this year after spending 11 years in jail for allegedly bludgeoning Ms Lawrence to death and leaving her lying in a pool of blood at her jewellery store in suburban Mosman Park.

Today, police Sergeant Graeme Clifford said a new "person of interest" had been identified by officers reviewing the case. "We have located a significant new piece of evidence," Sgt Clifford said. "It is early days in the inquiry and currently it is not possible to draw any further conclusions. "We have detectives in other states talking to people, so this is an Australia-wide investigation."

Mr Mallard's sister Jacqui Mallard said she was heartened by the news. It just shows what we have been saying for 12 years," Ms Mallard said today. "We have been correct that Andrew should never have been found guilty of this crime. "He never committed the crime and he should never have been pronounced the prime suspect." She was concerned it had taken police 11 years to re-examine the case. "We think that this investigation was never conducted in the first place," she said. "But it is really, really great and heartening now that the police seem to be pulling out all the stops to find out who did this terrible thing."

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(And don't forget your ration of Wicked Thoughts for today)