Leslie Herbert Kane
Encyclopedia
Leslie Herbert Kane was an Australia
n gangster
who lived in Melbourne, Australia
.
Kane left school and became a member of the Federated Union of Painters and Dockers
at the age of fourteen. By the time of Kane's death, he had appeared in court 27 times as the accused.
He was married twice. Through, Trish, his first wife he had a son and two daughters, Suzanne and Trish. Trish later married Jason Moran
. In 2009, Suzanne was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact
of murder for her involvement, along with Judy Moran and two other males, with the death of Desmond "Tuppence" Moran in Ascot Vale in June 2009.
On the night of 19 October 1978, Kane, Judy (his second wife) and the children returned home to their Wantirna unit after visiting family. Judy found three gunman lying in wait in her bedroom armed with silenced
'machine guns'. Les Kane was in the bathroom when Judy was dragged to another room by one of the gunmen and the other two opened fire on Les. The gunmen are believed to be Raymond Patrick "Ray Chuck" Bennett (later shot dead in a courthouse corridor), Vincent Mikkleson and Laurence Pendergast. The body of Les Kane was loaded into the boot of his distinctive pink Ford Futura
, and neither the body nor the car were seen again.
It is believed that this murder was performed to eliminate the Kane brothers after a fight between Brian Kane and Vincent Mikkleson in a Richmond
pub, in which Brian was beaten and suffered the ignominy of having a chunk of an ear bitten off. Believing the Kane family would come after him, Mikkleson and his friends decided to strike first.
After the murders, Judith Kane observed the painters and dockers' code of silence
and did not make contact with police. Rumours circulated among criminal and police circle alike, and the police eventually queried Judy about the whereabouts of Les Kane.
The three suspected killers were charged, but later acquitted in a court of law
, primarily owing to the lack of a corpse. One, Ray Bennett, was shot inside a courthouse the following year, by a man police believe to have been Brian Kane.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
who lived in Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Life
Kane. one of two brothers who also were in the same line of business, but Les was considered the most violent and unpredictable of the three.Kane left school and became a member of the Federated Union of Painters and Dockers
Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union
The Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union was an Australian trade union that covered "mostly work associated with chipping, painting, scrubbing, cleaning, working in every size of tanks, cleaning boilers, docking and undocking vessels, and rigging work"...
at the age of fourteen. By the time of Kane's death, he had appeared in court 27 times as the accused.
He was married twice. Through, Trish, his first wife he had a son and two daughters, Suzanne and Trish. Trish later married Jason Moran
Jason Moran
Jason Matthew Patrick Moran was an Australian criminal from Melbourne, Victoria, and one of the leaders of the Moran crime family, notable for its involvement in the Melbourne gangland killings. He sported a 12 cm scar on the side of his face.-Early life:Moran was the son of Lewis Moran and...
. In 2009, Suzanne was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact
Accessory (legal term)
An accessory is a person who assists in the commission of a crime, but who does not actually participate in the commission of the crime as a joint principal...
of murder for her involvement, along with Judy Moran and two other males, with the death of Desmond "Tuppence" Moran in Ascot Vale in June 2009.
On the night of 19 October 1978, Kane, Judy (his second wife) and the children returned home to their Wantirna unit after visiting family. Judy found three gunman lying in wait in her bedroom armed with silenced
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
'machine guns'. Les Kane was in the bathroom when Judy was dragged to another room by one of the gunmen and the other two opened fire on Les. The gunmen are believed to be Raymond Patrick "Ray Chuck" Bennett (later shot dead in a courthouse corridor), Vincent Mikkleson and Laurence Pendergast. The body of Les Kane was loaded into the boot of his distinctive pink Ford Futura
Ford Futura
The Ford Futura is a large car made by Ford Australia between 1962 and 2008. Although the last Futura was part of the BF Series Ford Falcon range it was badged and marketed as the 'Ford Futura' rather than the 'Ford Falcon Futura'. Ford Australia first used the Futura name on the Ford Falcon Futura...
, and neither the body nor the car were seen again.
It is believed that this murder was performed to eliminate the Kane brothers after a fight between Brian Kane and Vincent Mikkleson in a Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
pub, in which Brian was beaten and suffered the ignominy of having a chunk of an ear bitten off. Believing the Kane family would come after him, Mikkleson and his friends decided to strike first.
After the murders, Judith Kane observed the painters and dockers' code of silence
Code of silence
A code of silence is a condition in effect when a person opts to withhold what is believed to be vital or important information voluntarily or involuntarily....
and did not make contact with police. Rumours circulated among criminal and police circle alike, and the police eventually queried Judy about the whereabouts of Les Kane.
The three suspected killers were charged, but later acquitted in a court of law
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
, primarily owing to the lack of a corpse. One, Ray Bennett, was shot inside a courthouse the following year, by a man police believe to have been Brian Kane.
Books
- John Silverster and Andrew Rule, Tough - 101 Australian Gangsters, Floridale Productions and Sly Ink, 2002 ISBN 095791212 9