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| Scott Johnson inquest told Narrabeen Skinheads gang boasted about bashing man | Scott Johnson inquest told Narrabeen Skinheads gang boasted about bashing man |
| (7 months later) | |
| Witness says gang members bragged about bashing man they found masturbating ‘at Manly or North Head near a beach’ in 1988 | |
| Rick Feneley | |
| Fri 16 Jun 2017 10.02 BST | |
| Last modified on Sat 17 Jun 2017 04.14 BST | |
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| A gang called the Narrabeen Skinheads boasted about bashing an “American faggot” in evidence that could present a major breakthrough in the 28-year mystery of Scott Johnson’s fatal plunge from Sydney’s North Head. | A gang called the Narrabeen Skinheads boasted about bashing an “American faggot” in evidence that could present a major breakthrough in the 28-year mystery of Scott Johnson’s fatal plunge from Sydney’s North Head. |
| Late on Friday, a witness who cannot be identified told the extraordinary third inquest into the gay American’s death that members of the gang bragged about bashing a man they found lying naked and masturbating “at Manly or North Head near a beach” on a Friday night in mid-December 1988. | Late on Friday, a witness who cannot be identified told the extraordinary third inquest into the gay American’s death that members of the gang bragged about bashing a man they found lying naked and masturbating “at Manly or North Head near a beach” on a Friday night in mid-December 1988. |
| Spear fishermen found the naked body of Johnson, 27, on the morning of Saturday 10 December 1988 at the base of a 60-metre cliff near Blue Fish Point, on the seaward side of North Head close to Manly. | Spear fishermen found the naked body of Johnson, 27, on the morning of Saturday 10 December 1988 at the base of a 60-metre cliff near Blue Fish Point, on the seaward side of North Head close to Manly. |
| A fresh police investigation into the death of Johnson, presented to state coroner Michael Barnes for this inquest, gives most weight to the theory that Johnson committed suicide – as the original police investigation, and coroner, had found. | A fresh police investigation into the death of Johnson, presented to state coroner Michael Barnes for this inquest, gives most weight to the theory that Johnson committed suicide – as the original police investigation, and coroner, had found. |
| A redacted summary of the witness’s evidence says that he came forward to police in 2013. His information was to the effect that “every Friday night, the group would hang out at the Narrabeen bus terminus on Pittwater Road, Narrabeen. | A redacted summary of the witness’s evidence says that he came forward to police in 2013. His information was to the effect that “every Friday night, the group would hang out at the Narrabeen bus terminus on Pittwater Road, Narrabeen. |
| “The group called themselves the ‘Narrabeen Skinheads’ and had shaved heads and wore either cherry red or black-coloured Doc Marten lace-up boots with bleached blue jeans and plain-coloured Penguin polo-style shirts with white or black-coloured braces.” | “The group called themselves the ‘Narrabeen Skinheads’ and had shaved heads and wore either cherry red or black-coloured Doc Marten lace-up boots with bleached blue jeans and plain-coloured Penguin polo-style shirts with white or black-coloured braces.” |
| It said the group would get a case of beer, which they would drink on the bus on the way to Surry Hills. | It said the group would get a case of beer, which they would drink on the bus on the way to Surry Hills. |
| “The group would travel to a toilet block in Surry Hills where they would find men that they thought were gay and would bash them. A member of the group had also said that sometimes they went to a gay beach in Manly looking for guys to bash.” | “The group would travel to a toilet block in Surry Hills where they would find men that they thought were gay and would bash them. A member of the group had also said that sometimes they went to a gay beach in Manly looking for guys to bash.” |
| The information was also that members of that group had “bragged about having bashed ‘an American faggot’ they found lying naked and masturbating”. | The information was also that members of that group had “bragged about having bashed ‘an American faggot’ they found lying naked and masturbating”. |
| The police report to the state coroner accepts that North Head was a gay beat, although the then detective sergeant, Doreen Cruickshank, advised the first coroner in early 1989 that it was not a place where gay men had frequented. If it was, she had reasoned, it would also have been frequented by people who would would want to harm them. | The police report to the state coroner accepts that North Head was a gay beat, although the then detective sergeant, Doreen Cruickshank, advised the first coroner in early 1989 that it was not a place where gay men had frequented. If it was, she had reasoned, it would also have been frequented by people who would would want to harm them. |
| A procession of witnesses at the latest inquest have described the active gay beat at the time. And witness Gordon Sharp said gay bashers did indeed come to harm the users of the beat. | A procession of witnesses at the latest inquest have described the active gay beat at the time. And witness Gordon Sharp said gay bashers did indeed come to harm the users of the beat. |
| But the inquest has also heard from Scott Johnson’s partner, Michael Noone, who described his deep shame and depression following an infidelity in in the months before his death. Noone, who originally did not believe Scott committed suicide, has come to believe it was possible he fell or that he jumped to his death in a moment of remorse and “disgust” following a sexual liaison. | But the inquest has also heard from Scott Johnson’s partner, Michael Noone, who described his deep shame and depression following an infidelity in in the months before his death. Noone, who originally did not believe Scott committed suicide, has come to believe it was possible he fell or that he jumped to his death in a moment of remorse and “disgust” following a sexual liaison. |
| Outside the Glebe Coroner’s Court Scott’s brother, Steve Johnson, who mounted a self-funded investigation into the case in 2005, said: “I am extremely grateful to the witness who testified today. He was incredibly compelling, and I hope more people come forward.” | Outside the Glebe Coroner’s Court Scott’s brother, Steve Johnson, who mounted a self-funded investigation into the case in 2005, said: “I am extremely grateful to the witness who testified today. He was incredibly compelling, and I hope more people come forward.” |
| Sydney | |
| New South Wales | |
| Australian police and policing | |
| news | |
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