After THE INCIDENT, on the 8/9th April; and after being sacked and then reinstated; I worked the Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday (not the Friday as it was a public holiday). By then I knew who I had fought as a lot of the locals were not happy that their hero was walking around a few hours after the fight at the footy with a head like a watermelon. One local, who knew everybody, came up to me, looked me in the eye, and said “mate, the locals are building a posse to come and lynch you, what the fuck happened”; I looked him straight back in the eye, and told him the truth. The local came back an hour later, held out his hand, and shook mine. He said “Dirk, you are a man of honour, I couldn’t believe the stories when I heard them because I have seen you in action many times, but I had to be sure; I have found a local who was here, and everything you said is true, I will call off the dogs”. The story going around town was that there had been 8 bouncers kicking Bullock in the head, with me the main offender. An interesting theory to say the least, especially seeing how we only had 4 internal guards and one was round the back at the time, leaving 3 vs 20. (all crown witnesses confirmed the number in the group to be at least 20 fit young males - see Crowns Transcript) That local whom he had found, eventually, and after some considerable thought, and in fear for his safety, (from the commandos, sharks and police) made a statement to my solicitor. (a brave call for a man who drank in the same hotels as these thugs and whom had a damaged neck where he was told by a specialist that one blow to the head could kill him).

A week out from trial, when my barrister gave all witnesses for the defence the opportunity to make a statement for the crown prosecutor, the local, who did not at that time fully comprehend the lengths the police would go to to try and stop him giving evidence, signed up and became a witness for the proscecution. Once the police realised that they could not stop this outraged man of honour from testifying, they filled his head with blatent lies.The police had access to him for days. Driving him into court and back, (blatently illegal when under cross examination), telling him about CCTV footage of me banging Bullocks head down the stairs and what a monster I was. When that didn't work they insinuated that he must have been payed. They asked him why he was sticking his neck out for me. This man of steel and honour had the chance to send one of his tormenters (Detective Henessy), to the Supreme court, and ultimately to jail. But he told the judge that even though he felt threatened and intimidated (T-634-639+644-647,T-648-657, T-660-663)  he was determined to tell the court what he had seen. As well as Hennessy going to jail, the trial would have had to be abandoned, I would have walked out of court a free man, and the corruption would have been laid bare for all to see. This witness was indeed a man of integrity and grit. He was going to tell what he saw no matter what.

On Saturday the 15th of April, 2 hours into my shift, I got a call over the radio to come to the front as the police wanted to see me. When I got there, the most vicious, spiteful, arrogant and corrupt viper I have ever had the misfortune to meet, (I had not met Detective Hennessy yet) was waiting for me. It was Detective Mooney; along with her trusty offsider O’Brien. They arrested me and took me to the serpents nest.

I limped into the station curtesy of having ripped off my left big toenail 2 hours before my shift started; blood was seeping into my boot, but the pain was the least of my problems. Once inside I was led to the dock where I was caged. I asked “why am I here”? They responded that it was from an incident the week before. I said “you mean Bullock” They said that “a large number of patrons had come forward as witnesses” and that I had “hit Bullock 10 times in the face while he was unconscious while he was being held by 2 other bouncers”. They neglected to say that their evidence came from the very same men I was fighting and no one else except the cellarman who was doing his first ever weekend night shift as manager because the usual manager was away on holiday; and he only saw patrons throwing punches anyway (see transcript-Sardelic), and an off duty policewoman who made a statement one month after the event, after being lured by a transfer from the city to D.Y. by Hennessy, and fraudulently made a statement for her boyfriend. (see transcript-Simpson) I told them that they had not done their job properly and had they listened to the barman or asked  the other internal security officers or about 100 top floor patrons who saw me king hit, then they would know Bullock was the instigator and that I was very restrained in my response, and that my motivation was only to save the barman. (I did not know then but police knew that there was 20 men who instigated the violence, police knew that Bullock had damaged his face on a potplant (T-261) and that he was "dangerous" and “out of control”, which a crown witnesses had told them in his statement (T-786-788).

I still had not clicked that I was being set up, even after Wednesdays Manly Daily printed an article (biased ad) headed “witnesses sought after an assault on a patron at the Surfrock early on Sunday morning”. Not an assault on a security officer" or "an assault", but an “assault on a patron”. I just assumed that they had accepted as fact that I had been assaulted; especially considering my experience; 28 years of bouncing without ever being questioned, let alone being charged. I then asked incredulously; is the other guy being charged? They asked “what for”, I said “for assaulting me of course". Mooney snarled “he didn’t touch you”. I said I went to see a doctor (Link to -Dr M T-290) at the V… medical clinic and he treated me for a jaw injury, not only that, I have the other guard’s numbers in my phone, who all saw me assaulted. She replied, and she was even stupid enough to write a version of what she said down and arrogant enough to include this in her evidence “well, I am still going to charge you, and if you have any witnesses, they can come and see me”.(whitewash p-11) What she actually said was "well, I am still going to charge you, and if you have any witnesses, we will sort them out later".

It still did not click that they were setting me up. I still just thought that they were inept and lazy. My solicitor said later that this statement by Mooney was “delirious” in legal terms. He said, “what if you had a passport proving you weren’t even in the country, she was still going to charge you, outrageous”.

I rejected the offer to make a statement at that time. My boss said on the phone, while I was being arrested, to not say anything. I was in no fit state anyway, after 4 hours of being called a coward, I was crying in frustration, but the night was far from over. After holding me for as long as they could, they formally charged me with 25 year charges and one smaller one. (see THE CHARGES chapter) I did not know at the time how seriously I was in trouble (they did not tell me the years in jail the charge carried). Desk Sergeant Gillian Hough read out the charges, she seemed to treat me with respect by saying it should all be over in “a couple of months”.

I could not know at that time that she was one of the main architects of the set up. At least the others could not hide their hatred, which I respect more than a smiling assassin. As she read out the very long winded charges, my silent tears splashed on her desk. They asked me if I took medication, which I replied I did (anti-inflammatory) and they asked me what injuries I had; foolishly, I replied honestly, not knowing that within a couple of weeks, the whole town would know of one injury in particular. I stated that I had a dislocated jaw from being assaulted the week before, a missing toenail from slipping on a fish head 2 hours before my shift started, and a broken penis (I still can't believe I was stupid enough to tell them this-but I was in a severe state of shock) from an injury sustained while sleeping some months before. (I hasten to add that it has since fully healed)

When it was all done, I was told to go. I left the sniggering and the snarling and proceeded to limp down the road back to the Surfrock, which was 3 or 4 kilometres away. I got 100 metres down the road before the pain of my toe set in. I could feel the blood in my boot and it was very sore. I barely made it back to the station. I got to the doorway and heard laughter coming from the reception area and stood for a minute listening to the derogatory remarks re. my various predicaments. When I could listen no longer I walked into view and asked if I could “please have a lift to my car” as I had no money on me (which they were aware of anyway as they had strip searched me with gloves) and it was too late to call for a lift as it was 2am in the morning. Mooney laughed and said there were “no cars available”. I replied that I had counted 3 marked cars outside. Mooney said “they were there for emergencies”. I replied but there are 5 of you and none of you are doing anything. She spat “no”. I asked if I could borrow money for a cab or a bus fair. “No”. I limped in agony for 4 hours to my car. This was as close as you can get to torture. In fact it was torture.

I did not know it at the time, but Mooney made another fatal mistake that evening. She illegally confiscated my property, namely my NSW security licence; which she had no right to take, she was breaking the law, but I guess when you are perverting the course of justice, this was just a minor infraction.