Veteran journalist Liz Hayes has broken down during an emotional interview with a former police officer who was shot in his home after rejecting an offer of a bribe from former officer turned murderer Roger Rogerson.
Retired undercover drug squad detective Michael Drury told Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes he rejected a bribe from Rogerson to tamper with evidence in a case against Melbourne heroin dealer Alan Williams more than 30 years ago.
‘I knew if I reported Rogerson for attempting to bribe me, perhaps my life was in danger… I became edgy. I had a premonition and a very strong feeling that my life was in serious danger,’ Mr Drury told 60 Minutes.
Veteran journalist Liz Hayes (right) has broken down during an emotional interview with a former police officer (left) who was shot in his home in front of his breastfeeding wife after Roger Rogerson tried to have him killed
The officer’s intuition was proved correct, when on June 6, 1984, he was shot through the kitchen window in his Sydney home as he fed one of his daughters while his wife and other child were in the next room.
‘I remember getting up and I could see the blood down this side of the wall,’ Mr Droury said.
‘I walked into the lounge room and said to my wife, “I think I’ve been shot”. And then I told her to take the girls, go into the bedroom and stay there no matter what.
‘My only regret was both my daughters were babies and they were both crying and all I wanted to do was go kiss them… That’s all I wanted to do and just stop them from crying.’
Hayes struggled to fight back tears (right) while speaking to Retired undercover drug squad detective Michael Drury during an interview for Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes
Michael Drury told Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes he rejected a bribe from Rogerson to tamper with evidence in a case against Melbourne heroin dealer Alan Williams more than 30 years ago
The retired officer struggled to hold back tears as he turned away from the camera after sharing the highly-charged memory.
As he attempted to regain his composure, Hayes wiped tears from her eyes – clearly moved by the emotional story.
‘I feel more angry than you,’ the journalist said.
Drury was shot through the kitchen window in his Sydney home while his wife and young children (pictured) were inside on June 6, 1984
Mr Drury said he knew he was in danger after returning home to find the initial AW scratched into a wall of his house – which he believed we those of drug dealer Alan Williams
Mr Drury went on to detail how he was stuck in the coma for more than 10 days after the shooting, however once he woke up he was convinced Rogerson and notorious hitman Chris Flannery drove to his suburban home to kill him on the night he was shot.
Bravely, he told police investigators what he believed.
As a result, Rogerson was charged with conspiring to commit murder and trying to bride a police officer – however he was later acquitted.
Roger Rogerson, Australia’s most corrupt policeman, was found guilty of murder on Wednesday
The 75-year-old Rogerson is escorted to a prison van after being convicted of the killing Sydney university student Jamie Gao
NSW detective Roger Rogerson speaks to the media at Police Headquarters, 19 June 1985
However, despite believing he was nearly killed by Flannery and Rogerson, Mr Drury said he can still forgive the now-convicted murderer.
“If he tells the truth, I will forgive him,’ he told Hayes.
The interview was aired just hours after Rogerson and fellow disgraced police officer Glen McNamara were found guilty of murdering Sydney university student Jamie Gao in a drug deal gone wrong.
Rogerson and fellow disgraced police officer Glen McNamara (pictured) were found guilty of murdering Sydney university student Jamie Gao in a drug deal gone wrong on Wednesday in Sydney
CCTV footage (above) showed McNamara retrieving a surfboard from a car outside the unit on the day of Mr Gao’s death
Jamie Gao was shot twice at a storage unit in Padstow, south west Sydney, in May 2014. He had been lured there by the men for a drug deal
The pair were convicted at NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday of killing the 20-year-old at a storage unit in Padstow, south west Sydney, two years ago.
The court heard that the pair had made a drug deal with Mr Gao who they lured to the Rent A Storage unit on May 20, 2014.
They shot him dead to steal three kilograms of ice he had brought with him before dumping his body at sea using McNamara’s boat the next day.
They will be sentenced in August.