THE CALAMVALE POLICE— STUPID IS AS STUPID DOESN’T
In 2018, a brief of evidence was sent from NSW’s Lake Illawarra Police to the Queensland’s Calamvale Police (Brisbane) concerning alleged breaches of the Telecommunications Act by an Alan Price of Algester (pictured).
That brief contained more than a dozen instances of threats and intimidation being made by Price against a fellow veteran with whom he had been having a bitter dispute for a decade — involving the contentious 2nd D&E Platoon matter.
It had been put together by one of the NSW’s most competent police officers — Det Sgt Darren Kelly — and was as comprehensive a brief as could possibly be.
Somehow, that brief managed to get ‘lost’ within Calamvale Police station.
So, a second brief of evidence was duly sent from Lake Illawarra (NSW) — and arrived on the desk of a Senior Constable at Calamvale Police on October 2nd 2018.
And there it sat for six months, moved from one officer’s desk to another, before the boss of Calamvale Police — Snr Sgt S. Gough declared that their investigations were complete and they would not be taking action against Price because ‘they’ considered it ‘unlikely that any prosecution would be successful’.
Okay, that’s their prerogative.
But according to the law:
‘….it is an offence if a person uses a carriage service (s474.17(1)(a)); ‘and the person does so in a way (whether by the method of use or the content of a communication, or both) that reasonable persons would regard as being, in all circumstances, menacing, harassing or offensive’ (s474.17(1)(b)). This offence has the penalty of imprisonment listed as three years.’
That is fairly clear, one would think.
But apparently not for officers of the Calamvale Police who either didn’t understand that law, or were too stupid to apply it.
Think that’s unfair? Consider these extracts from just a few of the emails sent by Alan Price to the person he was attempting to intimidate:
- email, 18/02/2018: ‘…I will shut your mouth for you permanently…I am coming for you…’
- email sent via a third person on 19/02/2018: ‘….I am coming for you. That is not a threat but a promise….’
- email sent via third person, 19/02/2018: ‘…I have threatened your life. Do something about it. Remember any time, day or night, I am coming for you…’
- email sent on 20/02/2018: ‘…I am coming for you and I am coming for your family as well…I am going to get you.’
- email, 05/04/2018: ‘…I am coming for you so you had better tell the police…’
- email, 02.05.2018: ‘….I will still come to get you and to rearrange your breathing skills and perhaps even your mobility skills, certainly your fingers will never be able to write again. You have been warned you cunt…’
- 02/05/2018: ‘…You will see me coming. I might shove a broom up your arse…’
- 04/05/2018: ‘…It won’t be long now keep breathing and suck up the oxygen. One of those breaths will be your last. I would not leave home over the next month or so, something may harm you…’
And Snr Sgt Gough of the Calamvale Police doesn’t think that those emails constitute enough evidence to put Alan Price before the courts?
Curious, isn’t it?
But this is where it gets darker…
About seven years or so ago, Calamvale Police received a similar complaint in which Alan Price was alleged to have done exactly the same thing. These too, were ‘investigated’ by Calamvale Police.
On that occasion, the Calamvale Police declared that there were geographical and finacial considerations involved which meant it wasn’t worth the trouble of pursuing him.
Emboldened by the laziness of Calamvale Police to take action against him, Alan Price boasted then that he had mates in the Queensland Police Service who would ‘look after him’.
It seems he might have.
And then there was the curious matter of the same Alan Price being referred to Calamvale Police concerning his wearing of a service medal he wasn’t entitled to wear — a federal offence under the Defence Act of 1903.
According to Defence Honours and Awards: ‘Fraudulent wear of medals is an offence under The Defence Act 1903 , an act of the Commonwealth of Australia. Known or suspected cases of fraudulent medal wearing should be reported to the Australian Federal Police.’
Alan Price admits that he wore such a medal. Although he had received medals for service in other theatres, was a career soldier, and ran an ex-seercvice organisation, Price decided to bulk up his medal rack with a store-bought one as well.
He was discovered doing so by fellow veterans. One threatened to tear it off his chest.
Calamvale Police did not charge him for this fraud. First, the police said that Price was able to argue ‘mistake of fact’, that is, he could maintain he didn’t know he couldn’t wear it. (Despite knowing full well that service medals are awarded by the Commonwealth government to veterans who actually earned them in theatres of war.)
When the issue was raised with Calamvale Police a second time, the police declared that (upon further investigation) he had convinced them that he was entitled to wear it. Calamvale Police would not disclose how he managed to convince them, but they accepted it.
So, Alan Price got away with that as well — despite it being a serious federal offence.
However, he didn’t escape the clutches of the ANZMI web site who promptly put him up as a fraud:
FOOTNOTE: The medal Price is wearing falsely is at the far left hand of his rack — only able to be worn b men who did the mimnimum of six months in Vietnam. Price only managed three months.
