I just felt the need to put pen to paper as I tried to wrestle with the various conflicting emotions that arise from the news of the murder of Carl Williams this week.
For those who are not familiar with the story of the Gangland War in Melbourne last decade, this little video dossier by the murders’ chief reporter – John Silverter of the Melbourne Age - is very informative. It apparently began and ended with Carl Williams – his attempted murder in 1999 by the Moran brothers, and his actual murder on Monday in prison, where he was serving a 35-year sentence for some of the 25-odd murders sparked by that original attempt. Most will know the yarn first became a book by Silvester "Leadbelly", and that became the hit Channel 9 TV series, "Underbelly". The latter does a sensational – and very commercially successful – job at glamourising some very grubby and nasty people and acts. Herein lies the moral struggle.
For the most part, Williams’ death is life-imitating-art and would make for the perfect denouement to the TV series. A co-ordinated attack. An assault by a supposed friend and ally. The security guard “off-duty” and no one watching the CCTV. Beaten to death in 10 seconds with a metal bar taken from a nearby excercise bike. Left in his cell to bleed to death for 20 minutes before anyone came to his aid. His ex-wife famous reaction – two hours in the hair-dresser’s.
He was killed while reading the paper. The lead story in the Melbourne papers that day? How his daughter’s school education was being paid for by the police – public confirmation for some that he’d gone “snitch”.
So while the glamour is compelling, then my mind wanders to what he did. Two crimes spring to mind that give the lie to the comical, endearing larrikin that Channel 9 portray him as.
1. The murder of Jason Moran which Williams Commissioned and was convicted for collusion in. I vividly remember news of this breaking on the radio while I was shaving one morning; and despite how de-sensitised I was by news of gangland murders in Melbourne by then, I was still completely shocked by the brutal slaying of a man in front of his children at a footy match.
(This soundless video from Underbelly demonstrates the glamour with which Channel 9 portrayed the violence).
2. The murder of Graham Kinniburgh , known as “The Munster”; a non-violent safe-breaker in his 60’s killed outside his home – unarmed.
So while the glamour of the gangland thing is well-established now, with the Underbelly franchise now in its third series and once again in the business of glamourising a living, breathing, thieving criminal http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/underbelly-is-disgraceful... your mind must return to what and who these people are. I found this article most useful in assembling these thoughts, written by Silverster after the murder of Jason Moran:So then, having digested this through, I found myself thinking “yeah, he had it coming to him, its a good thing that he’s been violently and brutally murdered.” But thats an equally ugly place to find yourself and this article in the Australian helped me work those thoughts through also. His main point being: murder is bad. Whomever is the victim and whoever is the perpetrator and whatever the circumstances. The impact on the family and friends is permanent and painful and the stain on society is indelible.
I guess, though, as a footnote, what does sit uncomfortably is that because of the manner of Williams’ murder – in prison where authorities have a duty-of-care - his family certainly have a right to compensation, and could sue. After all the horror and expense that man has visited on Australian society, and all the illgotten gain Roberta Williams in particular would have accrued – you would have to question any judgement to that effect.