STATEMENT FROM ROXY IN 1994 ABOUT EVENTS IN 1992:
I am 28 years of age.
Chris flew up to Bundaberg with the handgun and money from the armed robbery in Sydney. Chris told me to pick up a BMW which he had put a deposit on some time earlier. He also purchased a Land Rover like a jeep. He purchased the jeep for the property in Bundaberg and put a deposit on the BMW. It was black, a 1977 model and two door.
I picked up the car the next day from the car yard and drove north towards Brisbane. I had only been driving for about 20 minutes when it overheated and I stopped at a service station.
I telephoned Chris and told him what had happened. He started yelling at me so I hung up. I ended up getting to Brisbane with the car by following some police from Brisbane. I saw consumer affairs and as a result ended up in Southport again with the vehicle for the repairs to be completed. After a day or two I decided to join Chris in Bundaberg whilst the car was being repaired.
I joined Chris in Bundaberg on the property that he had purchased, he left a couple of days later. Chris’ property was named Badlands. Whilst he was there I saw Chris with lots of different types of firearms. There were big guns and handguns. The big guns he wrapped up in rags which he had oiled and then put into like an army bag. The ammunition was like in a metal toolbox. He hid these guns and ammunition in a cave on the property. I have since shown this location to the Victorian police and those firearms were missing although the tarp and box were still there. The small handguns Chris left in a biscuit container in the shack on the property.
I dropped Chris at Bundaberg airport in the red transit van. On the way back to the property I rolled the van. I rang Chris in Melbourne and he was very angry and threatened to kill me. I was very frightened and decided to get away from him and so I got a lift to Southport where I picked up the BMW. At this time I stayed with ‘Mary’.
Whilst I was staying at Mary’s place – it would only have been about a week – I found out that Chris had been arrested in Melbourne. During that week Chris spoke to me and apologised and told me to go back to Bundaberg and collect the handguns.
I did what he directed as I knew his temper and he was coming back. I returned to Bundaberg in the BMW, picked up about three or four handguns which had been in the biscuit tin. I put the guns in the tin in a backpack in the car and returned to Mary’s place.
I was frightened that the police were after me and also frightened of Chris so I decided to take off to Sydney. Before I left I contacted a guy called ‘Ralph’ in Melbourne. He was the only person I knew to contact – he was an associate of Chris. I was scared about having the guns and Ralph flew to Coolangatta and he then accompanied me to Sydney and I gave him the guns. These handguns from the property in Bundaberg are the same guns found at Pittwater Road on the 16th of September 1992 by the police.
I sold the BMW in Sydney couple of days after getting there for $3500. I decided to cut Chris out of my life and start a new life for myself.
I wrote a letter for Chris which I sent via a friend as I didn’t want him to know where I was. I got a job in Sydney as a waitress and ended up living in Peakhurst with ‘Jane’, the girl who ran the business. It was about nine months since I had any contact with Chris.
Out of the blue I received a telephone call at home one morning. It was Chris. I asked him where he was, he told me that he was in Sydney at the central railway station. He just told me that he was out and to come and get me. I didn’t think anything at the time.
I took Chris back to Jane’s and introduced them. When I picked up Chris he told me that he had escaped. I was very frightened. I decided that I didn’t want Jane and her boyfriend to get involved with Chris so I suggested that he stay with a male friend who knew nothing about Chris. I then borrowed Jane’s car and drove to Pittwater Road, Gladesville, to ‘Bill’s’. Chris told me I think on this day that he had arranged for my white Sigma to be transported up from Melbourne. I introduced Chris to Bill but used another name.
I stayed overnight with Chris at Bill’s place and the next morning I went with Chris to some truck depot out Fairfield Way where we picked up my car. We returned Jane’s car before returning to Gladesville. Chris left me and Bill’s place. Bill didn’t have a telephone and we went and used a public phone, came back and he told me he was going out. Chris left me for a few hours, taking my Sigma. This car was unregistered at that time but had been registered in my name in Melbourne. It was a white Sigma station wagon.
When Chris returned Bill wasn’t home and he brought into the bedroom we were staying in a number of firearms and ammunition. I recognised the handguns from Bundaberg that I had last seen when I gave them to Ralph. There was also a number of other large guns. He put them in the bedroom that we were using. Some of the larger guns were still in boxes. I asked him where they had come from and he told me he’d brought them up from Melbourne in a car after the escape. I questioned him about the car as he had told me previously that he had caught the train but he didn’t elaborate and I assumed he must have had a stolen car hidden somewhere.
The morning of 14 September 1992 – I recall this date as it was the day of the robbery – Chris went for a walk in the morning, returning with the red Laser hatchback. I didn’t ask where it came from, it was obviously stolen. It was quite early in the morning, about 8 o’clock, that Chris got the car. I never asked what or why things happened as I was too scared of him. I thought that I had got him out of my life. But he was all controlling and rarely let me alone. I thought of going to the police but knew that I was in trouble myself.
When Chris returned with the Laser he told me to get up and dressed and that we were going for a drive. He ordered me to drive the car to Warringah Mall. I was wearing a white t-shirt and cream pants and Chris was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I cannot recall if the ignition was pulled out or if I used keys to start the car but I followed Chris’ direction and drove to Warringah Mall. I recall that I thought at the time that the car belonged to someone involved with the church as there were tapes in the car which I tested and it was all religious hymns.
After we left the mall he directed me to Chatswood. We drove around and then he told me to park in the Target car park. It was a multi-storey car park and I parked in a secluded spot. Chris said put a carry bag on the backseat. I didn’t know what was in the bag but when I saw it there and he directed me to Warringah Mall I thought he was thinking of doing another robbery at some time.
After parking the car Chris told me we were going for a walk. We went to the Chatswood Mall. I waited for him, buying a drink, whilst he wandered off for a while. When he returned after about five minutes he told me to go to the Commonwealth Bank in the mall which was nearby and ask about opening an account. I remember that he also said words to the effect of, ‘Go right down the back and check out the back door and see if it’s open or shut.’ Just like he’d asked me to do at Warringah earlier that morning.
I then went into the bank with Chris. I didn’t ask him why. We walked in together and Chris sat down at one of the desks and I went further along the tellers stopping towards the end and enquired about opening an account. I remember being told to go to enquiries. I then walked along a bit further. I think there might have been a partition from getting up to the back door. I remember looking at the door and then I rejoined Chris and we walked out of the bank along a laneway down the side, back to where the car was parked. I told Chris that I thought the door was locked.
I returned to the car and got in and Chris picked up the bag from the back seat. He said, ‘I won’t be long.’ He then left me. There was a pillar behind me and I lost sight of him.
I was pretty frightened as I realised that Chris was going to try and rob the bank. I didn’t think he was going to do it straight away. I sat in the driver’s seat waiting for him as he told me to wait. He was only gone a very short time, a matter of minutes. When Chris returned running to the car, I saw him at the passenger’s door and could see that he was wearing a disguise – he had a black curly wig on and I think a cap on top. He was wearing wraparound ski glasses and a large men’s green shirt and was carrying a gun which was cut down with two barrels. He was also carrying the carry bag. You know, one of those shortened firearms. He screamed at me to drive and to head back to Bill’s.
Chris had got into the rear passenger’s seat and was stripping off. I had to go around to get to the exit and by the time that I got to pay the woman Chris had jumped into the front passenger seat and was wearing the same clothing as before he had left the car.
I was quite panicked and I recall turning left out of the car park and that a four-wheel drive police car came up behind me with the sirens going. It reached nearly my car when it suddenly turned around the other way. I was quite panicked and I don’t recall exactly what happened next. Chris was pretty quiet when the police car was behind us. I presumed the gun was in the back seat as he didn’t seem to have it in the front.
On the drive back to Bill’s, Chris told me that he had shot out the back door. He also told me that there were a lot of people in the bank and that we hadn’t got much. He told me that one of the tellers tried to give him five dollar notes and that he had told the teller that he didn’t want that ‘shit’. He mentioned something about opening a bottom drawer.
We returned home. I was pretty dazed for Chris having involved me again. Chris went into the bedroom with a carry bag. I was nervy, shaking. I tried to relax, made a coffee and turned on the TV. I think Bill was home and I was just making conversation with him.
Later that afternoon Chris walked up to the local shops in Pittwater Road. I went and did some grocery shopping with Chris. I recall that it had a Liquorland attached to the grocery shop. I remember him buying Jim Beam, the green label one. The first I saw of any money was when Chris pulled out his wallet and paid for the groceries and liquor. I believe that he paid the bill with $20 notes. Chris also went to the post office and newsagent and bought envelopes. We then returned back to Bill’s and I recall him giving Bill some money for rent.
I remember watching the 6 o’clock news. Chris turned it on and there was an item on the robbery at Chatswood. When it came on, he looked at me and grinned. A short time after this Chris and I went into Oxford Street in Sydney. Chris had told me to drive the red Laser and I drove down a side street off Oxford Street. Chris told me to park the car. We walked up Oxford Street to the post office and I rang Jane who was expecting us for dinner. I told her we wouldn’t be coming and she was cranky. Then we went and had dinner at an Italian restaurant.
The next day we went into the city and then looking around car yards for another car. Chris suggested to me that I sell the Sigma, as it was in my name. On 16 September 1992 Chris and I left the Pittwater Road address. I was driving the Sigma and we were on our way to St Peters to sell the car. Bill was going to follow us but he forgot his wallet so I pulled over to wait for him. This was only a short distance after leaving Bill’s place and that’s when we were arrested.
I am very frightened of Chris and I am prepared to assist police as much as possible as long as I am given adequate protection. He has threatened my life on a number of occasions, even holding a gun to me and I know that he is capable of carrying out his threats. I don’t want anything more to do with Chris and I am making a life for myself.