Starr v Commissioner of Police [2001] NSWIRComm 226

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales

CITATION : Starr v Commissioner of Police [2001] NSWIRComm 226 APPLICANT: Andrew Starr PARTIES : RESPONDENT: Commissioner of Police FILE NUMBER: IRC 5614 of 1999 CORAM: Walton J Vice-President CATCHWORDS : Removal of police officer - review of order - whether removal was harsh, unreasonable or unjust - allegation of misconduct and criminal offences - Commissioner alleged applicant shot himself and made false report - applicant acquitted of all but one criminal charge - whether decision of the Commissioner properly informed - Commissioner did not obtain or consider transcript of criminal trial - concessions made in criminal trial as to strength of evidence - failure to obtain available evidence resulted in misconception of strength of evidence - failure in process adopted by Commissioner - whether failure of Commissioner to obtain available evidence rendered removal harsh, unreasonable or unjust - substance of allegations - onus of proof - whether onus on Commissioner to prove that the allegations were true - whether Briginshaw standard applies to allegations of misconduct - Commissioner's case depended on circumstantial evidence - whether circumstantial evidence sufficient to prove conduct occurred - new evidence as to VKG radio tape and events occurring after removal - inconsistencies in evidence of applicant - inconsistency between applicant's evidence and what was said on police radio - later conduct - applicant gave evidence that metallic object was discharged from his body which related to incident - applicant's evidence of later events not accepted - later conduct adversely reflected on credibility of applicant - whether later conduct relevant to fairness of decision to remove applicant - on evidence applicant guilty of the misconduct alleged - removal not harsh, unreasonable or unjust - application dismissed Crimes Act 1900 s547B Evidence Act 1995 s140 LEGISLATION CITED : Firearms Act 1996 s39 Industrial Relations Act 1996 ss84 85 86 87 88 89 95 163 Police Service Act 1990 ss 181B 181D 181E 181F 181G 181H Ahmedi v Ahmedi (1991) 23 NSWLR 288 Apps v Clark Equipment Pty Ltd (unreported, CIM, No. 98/2479, 4/8/1999), Antonakopoulos v State Bank of NSW (1999) 91 IR 385 Bankstown City Council v Paris (1999) 100 IR 363 Belhaven and Stenton Peerage [1875] 1 AC 278 Bigg v NSW Police Service (No.2) (1998) 80 IR 434 Boston Deep Sea Fishing v Ansell (1888) 39 Ch D 339 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Browne v Commissioner for Railways (1935) 36 SR (NSW) 21 Burge v NSW BHP Steel Pty Ltd (2001) 105 IR 325 Byrne v Australian Airlines Ltd (1995) 185 CLR 410 Capral Aluminium Ltd v WorkCover Authority (2000) 99 IR 29 Carr v Baker (1936) 36 SR (NSW) 301 Coles Myer Ltd v SDA (1989) 27 IR 299 Darling Island Stevedoring & Lighterage Company Limited v Jacobsen (1945) 70 CLR 635 Department of Corrective Services v Public Service Association (unreported, Peterson J, Matter No 98/3890, 2/10/98) Drake Personnel Ltd v WorkCover Authority (1999) 90 IR 432 Four Sons Pty Ltd v Sakchai Limsiripothong (2000) 98 IR 1 Franklins Ltd v Mervyn Webb (1997) 72 IR 257 Haynes v CI & D Manufacturing Pty Ltd (1995) 60 IR 149 Hollingsworth v Commissioner of Police (1999) 88 IR 282 Holmden v Bitar (1987) 27 A Crim R 255 CASES CITED : Holtman v Sampson (1985) 2 Qd R 472 Lane v Arrowcrest Group Pty Ltd (1990) 27 FCR 427 Martin v Osborne (1936) 55 CLR 367 Miller v Australian Industrial Relations Commission (2001) 104 IR 415 NSW Bar Association v Livesey [1982] 2 NSWLR 231 Newton v NSW Police Service (1999) 87 IR 66 North v Television Corporation (1976) 11 ALR 599 NRMA Insurance Ltd v Tatt (1989) 92 ALJR 299 Oswald v NSW Police Service (No.2) (1999) 90 IR 42 Pastrycooks Employees, Biscuit Makers Employees & Flour and Sugar Goods Workers Union (NSW) v Gartrell White (No. 3) (1990) 35 IR 70 PDS Rural Products v Corthorn (1987) 19 IR 153 Printing and Kindred Industries Union v Vista Paper Products (unreported, 1357/1991, Riordan DP, 13/12/91) R v Anderson, Ex parte Ipec-Air Pty Ltd (1965) 113 CLR 177 R v Hatfield [1999] NSWSC 998 R v Reeves (1994) 121 FLR 393 Ramsay v Watson (1961) 108 CLR 642 Retail Traders' Association of NSW v SDA (1990) 36 IR 38 Seltsam Pty Ltd v McGuiness (2000) 49 NSWLR 262 SDA v Jewel Food Stores (1988) Van Huisstede v Commissioner of Police (2000) 98 IR 57 Wang v Crestell Industries Pty Ltd (1997) 73 IR 454 WorkCover Authority v Arbor Products International (Australia) Pty Ltd (2001) 105 IR 81 WorkCover Authority of NSW v Bitupave Ltd (2000) 98 IR 246 HEARING DATES: 04/10/2000; 05/29/2000; 06/16/2000; 08/07/2000; 01/19/2001; 01/31/2001; 02/27/2001 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 10/05/2001