John Kerr - Wanted: John & Lucy Rescue By Force Silverwater Prison 25 March 1999

WANTED

JOHN &

LUCY

Rescue by force,
Silverwater Prison,
25 March 1999

JOHN KERR

First published 2003

Ice

Dulwich Hill
NSW 2203

John Kerr 2003, 2015

This edition published 2015 Kerr Publishing Pty Ltd

This book is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, or under Copyright Agency Ltd rules of recording, no part may be reproduced by any means.

Cover Design: Egan-Reid Ltd, Auckland

Typeset by Egan-Reid Ltd, Auckland

National Library of Australia cataloging-in-publication date

Kerr, John Downing, 1947 .

Wanted - John & Lucy: rescue by force, Silverwater Prison,

25 March 1999.

Includes index.

ISBN 0 9581283 0 8.

1. Killick, John, 1941? . 2. Dudko, Lucy. 3. Escapes New South Wales. 4. Fugitives from justice New South Wales Biography. I. Title.

365.641

This eBook edition ISBN 9781925281200

John Kerr 2015

Distributed by Port Campbell Press

www.portcampbellpress.com.au

For

Dan and Moana

When I see the Ten Most Wanted list I always have this thought: if wed made them feel wanted earlier, they wouldnt be wanted now

Eddie Cantor, US comedian

Criminals are attractive because their sharply individualistic energies are seen to operate outside the established social arrangement.

Martin Amis, British novelist

Liberty is so much latitude as the powerful choose to accord the weak

Judge Learned Hand, US jurist

Contents

Acknowledgements

The kindnesses, interest and help extended by the following, in no particular order, was valuable, valued and appreciated: Diebold Pty Ltd, Currency Guard Division; Jim Armstong, President, Coburg Historical Society; developers and newsletter editors of Pentridge Village; Lincel Mitchell, Australian Serials, National Library of Australia; George Lipman, award-winning press photographer and host Tattersalls Hotel, Goulburn; Tom Prior, veteran Victorian journalist, for tips, contacts and various books from his pen; Father John Brosnan; Alex Ivachev, SBS Radio; Tom Kelly for legal and prison history and advice; Steve Elkanovich of Belozi Business Consulting, for help with Russian language, recent history, customs and advice; all the staff of Dulwich Hill Post Office; David Lawton for advice on aviation; Mauri Garton for computer repairs, information transfer and all electronic matters; Brett Collins and Justice Action; the staff of Videomanner, Annandale; Lianhua Yiyong for a paper object and its content, both of great beauty; John Ralston and Sue Hallas of Pigott Stinson Ratner Thom, and Tom Molomby for legal work; Catherine Warne of Kingsclear Books for her deep local-history knowledge; Nick Jose and Claire Roberts, for contacts and translation of classical Mandarin; Richard V Hall for timely arvos off for yum-cha, political, police and criminal history lessons and writers trade advice at table; Jim Masselos, for straightening me out on Hindu and Buddhist mythology and theology; NSW Police Service Public Affairs media unit and members of Taskforce Northam; NSW Corrective Services Kerry Mumford and public-media liaison people, and the staff of Silverwater, Goulburn and Long Bay prisons; Gary Simes and Oxford University Press, A Dictionary of Australian Underworld Slang, a truly superb book; Colin Menger for court lore; Sergei V Ogustov and the staff of the embassy of Russia in Wellington, New Zealand; University of Otago Modern Languages Department; and my mother Ona Kerr and sister Julie and her husband David Luxton for timely loans; and Maria Foster, Lynette Warner and Patrick Mahon for travel assistance.

Kind readers of the penultimate draft: Anne Whitehead, sorry it arrived in the middle of fevered scriptwriting, but I couldnt help it, and thanks for the loans too; Nigel Roberts, busy with his own research; and Tom Noble, sorry it arrived 10 days before your wedding, but I couldnt help it. And Annette Hughes, Rose Creswell, and Lyn Warner for different kinds of readings. All at my agents, Cameron Creswell Agency. John Ferguson for faith, interest, support and lunch.

To those who provided information, thank you, but most especially to John Killick whose labors and generosity is visible on many pages, and Lucy Dudko, who also translated Russian. Others are apparent on the page, and those who didnt wish their names be used know who you are. Shortcomings are all my responsibility and fault, however.

For permission to use copyright material, Barry Oakley and Text Publishing, Minitudes: diaries 1974-1997, Robert Lindsey and Simon and Schuster, New York, Falcon and the Snowman: a true story of friendship and espionage, 1979, and The Flight of the Falcon, 1985; and John Killick for published and unpublished work. Press photographers and cartoonists, where possible, and news organisations or others controlling copyright are credited beside the image.

Some copyright owners and controllers have proved difficult or impossible to locate. If you believe you own or control copyright, please contact the publisher.

A Bit of a Flutter

There is a history with this gentleman of, shall we say, a reluctance to stay in custody.

Detective Inspector Aldo Lorenzutta, of John Killick

Tim Joyce brought the white Bell 47 helicopter, an aircraft most well known from TVs M *A *S *H the Bell 47 model made its debut in Korea in the 1950s down outside the office of Helicopters Pty Ltd at Bankstown Airport, where operations manager David Lawton had a problem: Tim, have you got change? he asked, flapping a $100 note. We owe her $40. But Joyces wallet was unhelpful. At the landing area Lawton could talk with confidence he wouldnt be overheard by the customer pacing about their office. Tim, shes pretty impatient in there. Shes a bit of a strange one. And shes on her own. Her boyfriend hasnt turned up.

Helicopter Pty Ltd is, among other things, in the joyflight business and duty pilot Joyce behaved like a tourism pro: he tried charm and reassurance. The customer is always right, and there was no reason to treat the German lady in the straw hat and wrap-around sunglasses, wearing a dark dress or skirt-and-blouse outfit looking like a business woman, any different to any other tourist. Are you going on the joyflight? he asked with a smile. Affirmative and weak smile back. She looked at her watch for the umpteenth time since shed arrived. Joyce had been held up giving a flying lesson and was late for the booked $360 standard joyflight.

It would be altogether a more pleasant experience if he could get her to relax. David could go to a nearby caf for change, he suggested, and then they would be up, up and away. She put the brakes on that, pretty smartly: Ill get the change when we return.

Where do you want to go?

Up the harbour, over the bridge and the Olympic site.

OK.

They walked to the helicopter. Tim asked her about herself but she wasnt forthcoming. Asked where she was from, Germany. What part? Something beginning with O, he didnt feel inclined to pursue it.

How long are you in Australia?

Three weeks. Is this safe?

Sure. Ive been flying for 20 years and Ive got two young kids. Wouldnt be flying it if it wasnt. Both Lawton and Joyce had trained on AET, call sign Alpha Echo Tango, years ago.

The morning of Thursday, 25 March 1999, offered top flying and viewing, a light zephyr blowing, bright sunshine, Sydney looking its best.

The brunette boarded, buckled on the seatbelt like a pro, and placed the shopping bags shed insisted on bringing, at her feet. No camera? Odd. Joyce asked her to remove her hat so she could wear earphones, but she didnt want to until he insisted.

Can you see enough?

She nodded, and they took off. Channel 9 by happenstance filmed the ascent for file visuals at Bankstown that day, and they used the film later.