Bikie 'killed by own gang'
By Rebecca Keenan
December 06, 2005
THE widow of bikie Billy Grierson says police told her he was killed
by members of his own motorcycle gang, and not a high profile West
Australian police officer.
At the second day of an inquest into the death of her de facto
husband, Nicole Skerry said when police informed her of Grierson's
death they had told her the Gypsy Joker bikie club was responsible.
Grierson was killed in a sniper-style attack five years ago in the
WA goldfields town of Ora Banda.
The prime suspect in the shooting was Don Hancock, former head of
WA's Criminal Investigation Bureau, who had retired to Ora Banda to
run the town's historic inn.
Less than a year after Grierson's death, and following a series of
firebombs that destroyed Mr Hancock's business and home in Ora
Banda, the retired detective and his friend Lou Lewis were killed by
a car bomb.
An emotional Ms Skerry said she confronted Mr Hancock at Ora Banda
after Grierson's death and asked him to look her in the eye and tell
her that he had not killed him.
Mr Hancock denied the allegation, she said.
It was alleged Ms Skerry again confronted Mr Hancock after his inn
and other properties had been destroyed.
Counsel appearing on behalf of Mr Hancock's wife and daughter,
Josephine Pepe, alleged Mrs Skerry said "I know the f***ing scum had
done it", in reference to the Gypsy Joker's murdering Grierson.
During the inquest it also was suggested Grierson was planning to
leave the Gypsy Joker's gang before his death and was a witness in a
rape trial in which the gang did not want him to participate.
Ms Skerry said she did not have any knowledge of either allegations.
Members of the Gypsy Joker's gang were in the court room and Ms
Skerry said she was not scared of them.
The inquest was initiated by Ms Skerry who believes the initial
police investigation into Grierson's death was not conducted
properly with officers involved having a conflict of interest,
having socialised in the past with Mr Hancock.
The inquest continues this week.
Biker's partner alleges flaws in murder probe
The partner of a murdered bikie gang member has told the
WA Coroners Court she believed police did not do their
job properly in the investigation into his death.
Nicole Skerry was the first witness at the inquest into
the death of her partner, Gypsy Joker bikie Billy
Grierson.
Mr Grierson was shot dead at the Goldfields settlement
of Ora Banda in October 2000.
The prime suspect was former senior policeman Don
Hancock, who was murdered a year later in what was
claimed to be a revenge attack.
Ms Skerry said she had numerous concerns about the
investigation into Mr Grierson's death.
Those include that the officers in charge of the case
had a conflict of interest because they were friends of
Mr Hancock's and had been socialising with him just
hours before the shooting.
Fighting back tears, Ms Skerry also said she believed
there were double standards in the way the State
Government treated Mr Grierson's murder and Mr Hancock's
killing.
The inquest has been adjourned until tomorrow.
