Sponsored by Brisbane Crime Tours | Crime Tours Australia
Presenter: Jack Sim, Author and Director Crime Tours Australia
Special guest: John Peel, former prison officer
Description:
After the death of his friend John Stuart in Boggo Road Jail killer James Finch continued his claims of innocence in relation to the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub firebombing. Paroled in 1988 Finch was deported to England where he revealed the truth of his involvement in the terrible crime.
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Following John Stuart’s death in 1979, James Finch became a fitness junkie and was allowed to keep pet birds in prison, earning him the title “The Bird Man of Boggo Road Jail”. Jim Finch manipulated Cheryl Cole, a disabled pen-friend who believed his claim of innocence. She lobbied hard for his release. They were married inside Brisbane’s Boggo Road Prison. The photo above is of James Finch on his wedding day. He also found religion. He met with families of Whiskey Au Go Go victims, praying and crying with them. Public sympathy grew. The Friends of Finch movement included politicians, barristers, QC’s and ordinary Australians. The shocking revelations of the Fitzgerald Inquiry into police corruption in Queensland gave many reason to believe Finch’s claim he was setup for a crime he did not commit. In 1988, Finch was paroled and deported to England. There Finch confessed his guilt, admitting he and John Stuart did commit the crime. For 15 years he had lied. He reiterated his confession on television live via satellite. When it was pointed out that there was an extradition treaty between Australia and the U.K. and that he had only been convicted on one of the 15 murder charges, Finch retracted the confession. Manipulative to the end, Stuart and Finch remain the most notorious prisoners in Boggo Road Jail’s and arguably Australia’s criminal history. The question remains over whether they acted alone in the firebombing. In Season 1 Episode 4 of Murder Trails special guest, former Boggo Road Jail prison officer John Peel shares his recollection of James Finch and his time in in prison with Murder Trails author and publisher Jack Sim.
After the death of his friend John Andrew Stuart in Boggo Road Jail killer James Finch continued his claims of innocence in relation to the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub firebombing. Paroled in 1988 Finch was deported to England where he finally revealed the truth of his involvement in the terrible crime. Special guest, former prison officer John Peel shares his recollection of Finch and his time in prison with Murder Trails author and publisher Jack Sim
Sponsored by Brisbane Crime Tours/ Crime Tours Australia
Special guest: John Peel, former Boggo Road Jail Prison Officer
In S1 Episode 3 of Murder Trails special guest, former prison officer John Peel oversaw both men inside. He shares his memories of the two killers with Murder Trails author and publisher Jack Sim.
Sponsored by Jack Sim presents Brisbane Crime Tours / Crime Tours Australia Presenter: Jack Sim, Author and Director Crime Tours Australia Special guest: Paul Tully, Historical Contributor
Presenter: Jack Sim, Author and Director Crime Tours Australia
Special guest: John Peel, former prison officer
Description:
Three days after the crime two men were arrested in relation to the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub firebombing. Both James Finch and John Andrew Stuart already had extensive criminal histories; despite this they protested their innocence from their first appearance in court. They claimed they were setup by corrupt police and began a campaign within the walls of Brisbane’s Boggo Road Jail.
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Sleepy Brisbane was changed forever when popular Fortitude Valley niteclub, the “Whiskey Au Go Go” was firebombed on Thursday, 8th March, 1973. Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen promised swift justice. John Andrew Stuart, 33, and James Richard Finch, 28, were arrested and charged with murder and arson. They would become household names around the country.
Queensland-born Stuart was regarded by detectives as one of Australia’s most violent and dangerous criminals. Well-known in Sydney’s underworld, as a teenager “Johnny” had been involved in crime including car theft, break and entering; as an adult he graduated to safe-cracking, gangland killings, extortion and vice. John was no stranger to Boggo Road.
Early in 1973 Stuart organised for his friend James Finch to come to Queensland to assist his extortion plans. The two men had been close friends for years. Finch found a mentor and master in Stuart. John enjoyed control over Jim: the two were birds of a feather.
Like John, Jim had been a troubled youth. Born in England, Finch was sent to Australia by the Barnados organisation when he was 10 years of age – like many British orphans in the 1950s – and spent time at the Institution for Boys, Tamworth. At 15 he left school and drifted into crime; break and entering was his trade. Jim was in
and out of prison. Finch was only out of prison five months when he was arrested in relation to the Whiskey Au Go Go.
Following their arrest Stuart and Finch were held on remand at Brisbane. From the start Stuart and Finch claimed innocence. Core to the police case was a signed “confession” by Finch in which he admitted their involvement. Finch claimed he had been “verballed” – false words put in his mouth by police.
In Boggo Road Stuart sewed his lips together with wire – to prevent police “verballing” him – drinking chemicals, and swallowing wire crosses. Made from pieces of sharpened steel bed spring Stuart would bend the points of each cross together and secure them using elastic from clothing or rubber bands. The cross was then pushed into a piece of fruit and swallowed. Stomach acids would dissolve the rubber, causing the crosses to fling open and tear his insides open. Twice Finch also swallowed wire crosses like his friend. Stuart also refused to eat and went on hunger-strikes.
In October 1973 Stuart and Finch were both convicted of murder. Stuart spent the whole trial in hospital and made legal history when sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment.
In S1 Episode 4 of Murder Trails special guest, former prison officer John Peel oversaw both men inside. He shares his memories of the two killers with Murder Trails author and publisher Jack Sim.
Presenter: Jack Sim, Author and Director Crime Tours Australia
Special guest: Paul Tully, Historical Contributor
Description:
Fifty years ago on 8 March 1973 a popular Brisbane nightclub in Fortitude Valley named The Whiskey Au Go Go was firebombed in a deliberate criminal act which resulted in the deaths of 15 people. It was at the time Australia’s worst act of mass-murder. It stunned the entire nation and the crime has haunted Brisbane for half a century. On behalf of Jack Sim and the staff at Boggo Road Gaol and Historic Australia we would like to express our deepest sympathies to those who are still grieving.
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That night, patrons and staff were not oblivious to the stories that trouble was brewing in Brisbane clubs, however they still turned up at the Whiskey to enjoy themselves. No-one would insane enough to bomb a club with patrons inside or so they thought.
Carol Green, 26, a secretary from Camp Hill, was one of many who enjoyed live music. She was planning to see one of her favourite bands with a female cousin. After getting dressed up they went out to catch the rock and roll group, “The Delltones” at the National Hotel, another well-known Brisbane nightspot, but they were late and missed the set. Carol decided to try and catch them at the Whiskey Au Go Go where they were due to play later that same night.
The Au Go Go had already drawn a bit of a crowd eager to see the Delltones. Among them were William Nolan, Wendy Drew, Brian Watson, Leslie Palethorpe and David Green. Father and son, Ernie and Des Peters too were at the club to see the band and celebrate the purchase of their first racehorse at auction from the R.N.A. show grounds. Pretty waitress, Jennifer Davies, 17, who had only been in Brisbane three months, brought them their drinks. Jennifer had moved up from Melbourne and was living at New Farm. She worked at the Whiskey three nights a week and in a restaurant during the day.
Also working at the club that night were cashier Decima Carroll, 29, and barman Peter Marcus, 23 years. In the kitchen, sampling the cuisine of the resident chef was fellow cordon bleu Paul Zoller from the National Hotel. As the Delltones took to the stage, it was clear the wait was worth it: “Get a Little Dirt on Your Hands” and other big hits from the bass vocals of Pee Wee, were crowd favourites. The atmosphere was electric. Everyone was having fun; most wanted to stay on till the early hours of the morning. They were friends, families, work colleagues, musicians and their fans all completely unaware of the impending danger they were in.
Following the Delltones was the support band, “Trinity”. Originally booked to play as the house band on the following Monday, a cancellation meant the group played the Au Go Go a full week early. This terrible twist of fate meant two of the band members, Colin Folster and Darcy Day, were doomed. Fay Will, 19, who worked for Queensland Railways refreshment rooms, was also about to die. She had stayed on to watch Trinity with her brother. At 2.05 a.m. on Thursday, 8 March, Fay’s brother decided to go home after saying his goodbyes. This was the last time he ever saw his sibling alive. Hell was about to be unleased.
At 2:08 a.m. Constable D. J. McSherrydrove past the club in his patrol car intending to return to circle the block. After McSherry’s departure, a car pulled up out the front of the Au Go Go. Who was in that car has remained the subject of conjecture for half a century. Two men wearing black clothes and balaclavas emerged from the vehicle. They unloaded two heavy drums of petrol and carried them to the entrance of the Whiskey Au Go Go; fuel spewed out as they rolled them into the foyer. Using a book of matches, one of the men ignited the fuel, which burst into flames so fierce that the men were taken aback. They fled the scene of the crime. By the time McSherry returned – 2.10am – thick smoke was pouring from the entrance of the nightclub.
McSherry got out of his vehicle focused on trying to find a way to get people out, a seemingly impossible task. Flames were already starting to lick their way around the entrance. Within thirty seconds black smoke began to pour into the main area of the club. Incredibly by 2.22 a.m. the blaze was under control. Twelve minutes after they were called by police, the fire brigade had raised hopes that there may be survivors inside. Constable McSherry and members of the fire entered the still smouldering wreckage of the charred club. Unfortunately all they found were bodies. In total fifteen fatalities were recorded, ten men and five women. The majority had died within three to four minutes from suffocation and carbon monoxide poisoning;
Within days two men – known to police – were arrested and charged. John Andrew Stuart, 33, and James Richard Finch, 29, were to become household names in Australia, as they protested their innocence from the very start. There was no doubt they were involved but 50 years later what is also clear is that they did not act alone. There were other shadowy characters behind the scene whom remain mysterious and who have never been identified or charged.
