Lewis & Moore: Not All Black & White

Did Terry Lewis cover-up allegations of criminal sexual behaviour involving Dave Moore as far back as 1982? The possibility that the Commissioner “protected“ the high-profile constable continues to remain troubling – more than four decades later…

ABOVE – A most notorious black and white photo circa 1982: Convicted child sex abuser David Warren Moore (far right) a regular on-screen personality with Channel 7 Brisbane’s Super Saturday Program – with then Police Commissioner Terence Murray Lewis, “Agro” and Fiona McDonald (Left to Right).

Sensational allegations at the Fitzgerald Inquiry on Thursday 20^th October 1988 shocked the media and public galleries. Counsel assisting the inquiry, Douglas Drummond QC provided sworn evidence to show that in early 1984, now suspended Police Commissioner Terry Lewis, attempted to shut-down then troubling accusations against his celebrity constable Dave Moore. The claims related to Moore being a “homosexual” and involved alleged inappropriate behaviours with adolescent boys. For more than a year whispers inside the corridors of police headquarters at North Quay were that Moore was effectively living a “double life”. Eyewitnesses spotted him as a regular patron at gay nightclubs in Fortitude Valley including the Hacienda Hotel. This might have been shocking in and of itself but at that time Moore was effectively the public face of the police force in the state’s capital.

Throughout 1984, then Minister for Lands, Forestry and Police William Glasson pursued these matters. Glasson, originally from Toowoomba, was an old school Country Party member who held the western Queensland seat of Gregory (from 1974 till 1989).  The Minister had served in the air-force during the Second World War and was a one-time jackaroo come grazier. Behind the scenes the Glasson was asking his top cop about the said rumours concerning Moore. Lewis didn’t appreciate the probing and thereby the white-anting of Glasson soon commenced.

Drummond QC told the inquiry that Lewis went so far as to ask then Premier Johannes Bjelke-Peterson to sack Gleeson from the portfolio. The Commissioner also met with National Party powerbroker Party Sir Edward Lyons and expressed concerns about Glasson and the Minister’s over-zealous fixation with Moore. The barrister went in hard on this point in his questioning of Lewis on the stand:

“Were you setting about to have Mr Glasson removed from the police portfolio in order to maintain your cover-up?”

“No”, Lewis replied forcefully. Although he did concede to Drummond QC that he “was not pleased in the handling of the (Moore) matter (by Glasson).”

Lewis’s official diary entries confirmed the version of events put forth by Mr Drummond. As a probable sociopath, not much weight could be given to any evidence Lewis would provide at the inquiry (or at his own corruption trial two years later).

So what was the underlying issue, all this back and forth, concerning Moore? Drummond confirmed to the inquiry, in a statutory declaration, that police were aware of allegations against Moore dating back to 1982. These claims included that “Moore had been seen at a hotel frequented by homosexuals, had been seen acting suspiciously in a suburban park and had shown a boy a gay magazine – and asked him (the boy) to be in blue movies”.

Homosexuality in Queensland – 70s & 80’s style:  The sunshine state, after many decades of a right-wing coalition government, had pushed homosexuality into the shadows. In fact, it was unlawful. Many National Party politicians had anti-gay sentiments and preferred the majority of the citizenry to be white, heterosexual and reasonably god-fearing. Promoting the intolerance was the long-serving premier Sir Joh Bjelke- Petersen, a sometime bible basher, who once described gays as “perverts”. Joh, ever the opportunist, would utilise the HIV/AIDS public health crisis of the mid-1980’s to further isolate the gay community and encourage homophobia. It wasn’t until the Labor Party under leadership of Wayne Goss took power that homosexual offences were removed from the states criminal code (in 1991). It would take another three decades before the age of consent for sexual activities between homosexuals was lowered to 16 years of age, from 18 years.  Further, criminal records of those previously found guilty of homosexual acts in Queensland courts were to be expunged (finally) in 2017.

Lewis, who ultimately be convicted for corruption and forgery post-Fitzgerald inquiry (and spend a decade in prison)was adamant that he was not aware of rumours concerning Moore during the time period in question – and continued to defend his own integrity on the matter.

“Why would I bother covering up for a senior constable?”, the suspended police boss asked rhetorically.

Mr Drummond countered, “Because there had been complaints afoot against this man who you kept in a high-profile position for many years”.

Lewis: “I would certainly not have allowed him to roam around free if there was any possibility that he got involved with offences with children”.

The facts remain that Lewis, as the subordinate, was asked by Glasson on 21st November 1984 to fully investigate the Moore matter. Lewis replied to the Minister four days later stating that there was “no evidence of any criminal activity by Moore.”

It’s clear, by this stage, Lewis was being more than untruthful. He was outright lying.

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Dave Moore entered the Queensland Police Force in 1974 as a clean-cut constable. After a short time on “patrols” he transitioned into operations inside the new police headquarters on Makerston Street, North Quay.  There Commissioner Raymond Whitrod, a noted academic and reformist, soon learnt of Moore’s personal interest in the arts and encouraged the young constable to pursue his passion in the theatre. With an outgoing personality and likeable demeanour, Moore was promoted into a public relations role within the force.

Moore, married with young children of his own, conducted outreach programs in the community. Sources say he was excellent in this role – a natural. Visiting schools, educating about the perils of “stranger danger”, the officer was communicating an important safety message. The constable’s profile exploded when he was invited to BTQ Channel 7’s Super Saturday Program. The popular children’s show, presented by Fiona McDonald, featured witty puppet “Agro” aka the “Talking Bathmat”. Moore was soon offered a regular on-air spot at the television station. The viewing public had taken to the approachable Moore. The station’s PR saw value in his capabilities and utilised the constable in other promotions including their Xmas programming and the annual Ekka festivities.  

A short anecdote: Not to be sidelined, Commissioner Lewis would accompany Moore to the Mt. Cootha studio on Saturday 15^th November 1980. As a public relations exercise at large for the usually staid Queensland Police Force, Lewis would humorously meet, greet and ceremonially induct “Agro” into the state’s police force as a “Special Police Public Relations Officer”. The normally aloof police boss was clearly seeking the rub of Moore’s shine and goodwill in the community.

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In early 1984 rising Labor MLA Wayne Goss addressed the police minister in state parliament during question time. Goss pointedly inquired about a current unnamed police officer partaking in “homosexual activities” and a child pornography ring operating in Brisbane. Alarm bells started to ring in the corridors of power…

After being pushed, Moore resigned from the police force on 22 November 1984. A month later Moore would be charged with sexual acts involving a boy aged 16 yrs. The criminal offences were alleged to have occurred between 31^st December 1981 and 1st April 1982 at the home of ABC breakfast radio host Willam Hurrey. Moore was found guilty at trial in November 1986 and sentenced to 6 years imprisonment. Ultimately this conviction would be set aside on appeal. A June 1987 retrial saw the ex-cop convicted on indecency charges and given a 30-month sentence.

In All Fall Down, the finale in his trilogy of books on corruption pre-Fitzgerald in Queensland, Matthew Condon submits that Syd Atkinson the Deputy Commissioner confirmed he spoke to Lewis numerous times on the whispers surrounding Moore. Condon adds that word of Moore’s unsavoury reputation made it to the office all-knowing Assistant Commissioner Anthony Murphy as well as Atkinson. Atkinson later swore that “after each reported incident involving Moore, he passed the information on to Terry Lewis”.

Atkinson, a one-time detective at the CIB, proffered he counselled Moore as far back in 1982, to stay away from bad influences he had started to associate with. But even worse there had been a Juvenile Aid Bureau Report produced in 1982 that had identified Moore and Bill Hurrey as being involved in improper conduct in Brisbane with young men. The damning report was seemingly not acted upon – or worse, buried at the criminal investigation level. Either way it’s clear that Lewis did nothing to dig into Moore including the constable’s association with Hurrey. Hurrey moved in higher echelon social circles in the city and was said to have a proclivity for young teenage boys (in July 1986, the radio host then 35yrs old, would be convicted for sex offences with boys and sentenced to five years gaol).

So why was Moore not simply transferred out of Brisbane when whispers about his sordid behaviour first commenced – as was the usual operating procedure for the force in that era? It’s another unanswered question.

References:

Lewis covered up allegations: Police Minister wanted paedophile sacked. Canberra Times. 21 October 1988 p.3

Dirty Dealing. (P. Charlton) Source: QNP. 16 August 1997.  tony-koch.com (online)

Lewis bid to hide scandal: QC. (Doug Button). The Courier Mail. 21 October 1988. p.1.

Sir Joh stabbed me in the back. (Scott McKenzie). The Courier Mail. 22 October 1988.

All Fall Down (Matthew Condon). University of Queensland Press. 2015.

Jacks And Jokers (Matthew Condon). University of Queensland Press. 2014.