Terry Lewis Biography
Terry Lewis, a former Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service, found himself at the center of a notorious corruption scandal known as the Fitzgerald Inquiry.
Convicted and sentenced for corruption and forgery, Lewis experienced the downfall of his career and the stripping of his knighthood and other prestigious accolades.
Throughout the legal proceedings, he vehemently maintained his innocence, taking legal action against his former lawyers and pursuing multiple appeals. However, despite his efforts, his final appeal in August 2005 proved unsuccessful.
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Terry Lewis embarked on his law enforcement journey in 1949, joining the police force as a young recruit. Rising through the ranks, he eventually became the head of the Juvenile Aid Bureau as a senior constable.
However, his involvement in the National Hotel scandal tarnished his reputation, and he became closely associated with the corrupt former Police Commissioner, Frank Bischof, allegedly acting as one of his trusted aides.
Shirley Brifman, an informant, claimed that Lewis, along with Murphy and Hallahan, were the intermediaries for Bischof’s illicit activities.
In late 1975, Terry Lewis was transferred to Charleville while his associate Tony Murphy was posted to Longreach. During this time, Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen, dissatisfied with Commissioner Whitrod, visited Charleville twice to explore the possibility of appointing Lewis as a future commissioner.
Bjelke-Petersen seized the opportunity to replace Whitrod, as he reassigned Police Minister Max Hodges and Assistant Commissioner Norm Gulbransen retired. Despite objections from Whitrod, Lewis emerged as the chosen candidate among 122 senior officers, ultimately assuming the role of Assistant Commissioner Gulbransen’s successor.
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Donald Stewart, former Royal Commissioner, characterized Lewis’s appointment as a move orchestrated by Premier Bjelke-Petersen to have a subordinate who would dutifully carry out his orders, regardless of their legality.
Initially appointed as Assistant Police Commissioner under Ray Whitrod, Lewis’s appointment caused a rift as Whitrod refused to work with him and resigned in protest.
Terry Lewis’s tenure as Police Commissioner from 1976 to 1987 was marked by significant controversy. While he received a knighthood for his service, his position became compromised, leading to his suspension by Police Minister Bill Gunn in September 1987 and subsequent dismissal in April 1989.
The unraveling of Lewis’s corrupt network was aided by Detective Jack Herbert, who served as his bagman but eventually became an informant during the Fitzgerald Inquiry. Assistant Commissioner Graeme Parker also confessed to corruption, implicating Lewis further.
Following the Fitzgerald Inquiry, Lewis faced charges in 1989, including perjury, corruption, and forgery. After a lengthy trial and deliberation, a District Court jury found Lewis not guilty of lying to the inquiry but guilty of accepting bribes totaling $700,000.
These bribes were given to protect brothels, illegal casinos, SP bookmakers, and in-line machine operators while preventing the legalization of poker machines in Queensland. Additionally, Lewis was convicted of forging Premier Bjelke-Petersen’s signature on an official police document in 1981.
Judge Healy handed down a severe sentence, imposing the maximum prison term of 14 years for the corruption charges and 10 years for forgery, to be served concurrently. Lewis was also fined $50,000 for each corruption charge.
After serving 10½ years, he was granted parole in 2002. Despite his release, Lewis persisted in his claims of innocence, pursuing legal action against his former lawyers and launching unsuccessful appeals. Ultimately, his final appeal in August 2005 brought an end to his legal battle.
Terry Lewis wife
He was married to Hazel Catherine Lewis.
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