SUSPENDED Bendigo police officer Patrick Bannan was given one opportunity to speak yesterday afternoon, minutes after being ordered to stand trial on six charges.
The 50-year-old former detective was emphatic: “Not guilty of all charges, Your Worship.’’
The prosecution alleges Bannan pressured an alleged rape victim to drop her complaint, after discovering the accused men were his own son and nephew.
Charges against the pair - Ainsley Bannan and Brenton McKinnon - have since been dropped. Thirteen witnesses, including eight police officers, gave evidence in the three-day hearing.
Yesterday the court heard Bannan told a senior police member he didn’t mind being charged, as long as his son wasn’t.
He now faces two counts of perverting the course of justice and four counts of using his position improperly to gain advantage.
In a statement tendered to court, Senior Sergeant Gerry Rudkins detailed a conversation he had with Bannan following his suspension. Bannan said “I’ve done nothing wrong, but I’d rather be charged with whatever they’re going to charge me with than have me (sic) son charged with rape,’’ he said.
The first witness yesterday morning, Detective Senior Sergeant Rodney Stewart, told the court he had been on leave at the time.
However, he said had he been there, he would have advised Bannan to take time off.
“If I wasn’t on leave and I was there, I would have said, 'how are you going, I think you should take a little time off work',’’ he said.
He confirmed Bannan told him he was concerned his son would be charged with rape, only because he was a policeman’s son.
Detective Senior Sergeant Stewart acknowledged there had been “historical conflict’’ between Bannan and other crime investigation unit members.
The court was told that in 2004, Bannan submitted a report alleging he was being bullied.
He also complained that he wasn’t given enough support with his own investigations.
Defence barrister Andrew McKenna asked Detective Senior Sergeant Stewart whether it was fair to say he and Bannan “didn’t always see eye to eye’’.
“Of course, yes. He did some things that I didn’t like him doing, I suppose,’’ he replied.
Detective Senior Sergeant Stewart went on to say that at times, Bannan may have not liked being told to do things the “correct way’’.
Mr McKenna said Bannan was not happy an email had been circulated to up to 12 officers, telling them Bannan was not to enter certain areas of the station, having been “indefinitely suspended’’.
A spokeswoman for Victoria Police said yesterday Bannan remained suspended on full pay.
In a statement tendered to court, then-Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Brendon Murphy said Bannan was removed as soon as the familial link was discovered.
“I told him . . . that he was to go home, that he was to take no further part in the investigation of this matter,’’ he said.
“I said that the situation was obvious, he could not have any further involvement whatsoever, and that he should not be around when other people were to be interviewed.’’ Bannan was suspended after allegations arose he had contacted the woman twice after being officially removed from the case.
On one occasion it’s alleged he told the woman she was “all over his son’’, and that continuing with the matter would only create a circus in court.
One of the woman’s friends told the court she “felt betrayed because she had told Patrick so much personal information and he was using it against her.’’
A statement from an officer from the Bendigo Sexual Offence and Child Abuse Unit detailed a conversation she had with Bannan in the days surrounding the rape investigation.
“He commented that once the victim learnt that the offenders were his son and nephew, and that because she was such a nice person that she would drop the complaint,’’ she said.
Following yesterday’s evidence, magistrate Jonathon Klestadt said there was “enough evidence of sufficient weight for the defendant to be committed to trial’’.
Family and friends of Bannan shook their heads as he was asked to enter his plea.
Bannan will appear in Bendigo County Court for a case conference in February.
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