Neddy Smith
Encyclopedia
Arthur Stanley "Neddy" Smith (born November 27, 1944) is an Australia
n criminal who has been convicted of rape
, armed robbery and murder
.
Smith has been serving a life sentence since 1989 and is presently imprisoned in Long Bay Correctional Centre
after being moved from Lithgow Correctional Centre
in New South Wales
, where he spent 14 years of his life. Smith's bodyguard
Graham 'Abo' Henry claimed in ABO - A Treacherous Life: The Graham Henry Story that the gang of criminals Smith led committed crimes worth A$
25 million in the 1980s.
serviceman father that he never knew, and brought up in Sydney. He attended Boys Homes' for approximately three years after becoming involved in burglaries and other offences.
, and armed robber who gained notoriety for his violent temper. Standing 6 ft 6 tall and weighing 16 stone in his prime, Smith exploited his size when involved in countless street fights and bar brawls. Journalist
John Dale has commented "there is no doubting Neddy Smith's physical size and menacing aura." In Neddy: The Life and Crimes of Arthur Stanley Smith, he claimed to have beaten up former British
and Commonwealth
heavyweight
champion Bunny Johnson after a row outside a Sydney nightclub. However he denies committing the rape
he was imprisoned for in 1968 and the numerous murders of which he has been accused.
Smith gained further notoriety when he became a whistle-blower and star witness for the Independent Commission Against Corruption
and the Wood Royal Commission
. He obtained immunity for all crimes he had committed, except murder, in exchange for testifying against former New South Wales police
detective Roger Rogerson
and other allegedly corrupt police officers.
During ICAC proceedings, Smith testified that he had committed eight armed robberies and had made a large amount of money from dealing heroin. He alleged that members of New South Wales Police had given him a "green light" to commit crimes and had aided him in various robberies and other crimes. He also claimed to have paid corrupt police officers large sums of money to escape criminal charges himself and to assist his friends in avoiding criminal charges.
In The Damage Done, Warren Fellows
claimed he had witnessed Smith make death threat
s against two police officers who attempted to take him in for questioning on his daughter's 10th birthday. Fellows also alleges that he was working for Smith when he was arrested in Thailand
for attempting to smuggle 8.5 kilograms of heroin back to Australia. Fellows was travelling in the company of Smith's brother-in-law, Paul Hayward
, who was also charged with trafficking.
Though Smith has been charged with eight murders, he has only been convicted of the murder of brothel
owner Harvey Jones and the murder-in-company of a tow-truck driver named Ronnie Flavell during an incident of road rage.
, based on Smith's book, Neddy, and produced by Australia's public broadcaster, ABC TV
. First aired in most of Australia in 1995, the show was banned in New South Wales until 2001 due to the ICAC hearings, the Wood Royal Commission and outstanding contempt of court
charges. Australian actor Tony Martin
played Smith, while Richard Roxburgh
played Rogerson.
In Blue Murder, Smith is shown murdering whistle-blower prostitute Sallie-Anne Huckstepp
. Smith was recorded in his prison cell
confessing to this crime, and later made the same confession to his publisher. However, he has otherwise consistently denied involvement in the murder and has maintained that he knew he was being secretly recorded in his cell and made the statement to gain publicity for his book. He was subsequently charged with Huckstepp's murder, but was acquitted
. In his second book, Catch and Kill Your Own, Smith implies ignorance, but told writer John Dale he knows who committed her murder and would release the information once the killer is dead.
in 1981, Smith served 14 years in Long Bay Correctional Centre
, NSW, and was a regular patient at the prison hospital. In 2003 he was moved to Lithgow Correctional Centre
. In 2008, The Daily Telegraph reported that Parkinson's medication had ceased being effective and that Smith's health had deteriorated, leaving him unable to maintain balance and using a wheelchair. Despite being imprisoned for the rest of his life, Smith continues to refuse to assist police with ongoing investigations of unsolved murders, which were not covered by the immunity granted to him in exchange for his testimony against allegedly corrupt police officers at the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Wood Royal Commission hearings.
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 criminal who has been convicted of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, armed robbery and murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
.
Smith has been serving a life sentence since 1989 and is presently imprisoned in Long Bay Correctional Centre
Long Bay Correctional Centre
Long Bay Correctional Complex is located in the suburb of Malabar in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Long Bay comprises six institutions, four maximum security and two minimum security.-History:...
after being moved from Lithgow Correctional Centre
Lithgow Correctional Centre
Lithgow Correctional Centre is a maximum security Australian prison located on the Great Western Highway at Marrangaroo, New South Wales, Australia....
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, where he spent 14 years of his life. Smith's bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
Graham 'Abo' Henry claimed in ABO - A Treacherous Life: The Graham Henry Story that the gang of criminals Smith led committed crimes worth A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
25 million in the 1980s.
Early life
Smith was born to an Australian mother and an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
serviceman father that he never knew, and brought up in Sydney. He attended Boys Homes' for approximately three years after becoming involved in burglaries and other offences.
Criminal career
Smith has spent much of the rest of his life in prison, serving sentences from 1963–1965, 1968–1975, 1978-1980 and 1989 to date Smith was a self-confessed heroin dealerIllegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
, and armed robber who gained notoriety for his violent temper. Standing 6 ft 6 tall and weighing 16 stone in his prime, Smith exploited his size when involved in countless street fights and bar brawls. Journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
John Dale has commented "there is no doubting Neddy Smith's physical size and menacing aura." In Neddy: The Life and Crimes of Arthur Stanley Smith, he claimed to have beaten up former British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
champion Bunny Johnson after a row outside a Sydney nightclub. However he denies committing the rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
he was imprisoned for in 1968 and the numerous murders of which he has been accused.
Smith gained further notoriety when he became a whistle-blower and star witness for the Independent Commission Against Corruption
New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption
The Independent Commission Against Corruption is an independent agency of the Government of New South Wales with responsibility for investigating corrupt practices by state and local officials in the state of New South Wales...
and the Wood Royal Commission
Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police Service
The Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police Service was held in the State of New South Wales, Australia between 1995 and 1997. The Royal Commissioner was Justice James Roland Wood...
. He obtained immunity for all crimes he had committed, except murder, in exchange for testifying against former New South Wales police
New South Wales Police
The New South Wales Police Force is the primary law enforcement agency in the State of New South Wales, Australia. It is an agency of the Government of New South Wales within the New South Wales Ministry for Police...
detective Roger Rogerson
Roger Rogerson
Roger Caleb Rogerson is a controversial former detective-sergeant of the New South Wales Police Force. Rogerson was convicted of perverting the course of justice and lying to the 1999 Police Integrity Commission...
and other allegedly corrupt police officers.
During ICAC proceedings, Smith testified that he had committed eight armed robberies and had made a large amount of money from dealing heroin. He alleged that members of New South Wales Police had given him a "green light" to commit crimes and had aided him in various robberies and other crimes. He also claimed to have paid corrupt police officers large sums of money to escape criminal charges himself and to assist his friends in avoiding criminal charges.
In The Damage Done, Warren Fellows
Warren Fellows
Warren Fellows is a former Australian drug courier who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Thailand in 1978 for his role in a heroin trafficking operation that took place from Perth to Bangkok.-Early life:...
claimed he had witnessed Smith make death threat
Death threat
A death threat is a threat of death, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion...
s against two police officers who attempted to take him in for questioning on his daughter's 10th birthday. Fellows also alleges that he was working for Smith when he was arrested in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
for attempting to smuggle 8.5 kilograms of heroin back to Australia. Fellows was travelling in the company of Smith's brother-in-law, Paul Hayward
Paul Hayward
Paul Hayward was a former professional rugby league player and boxer who played for the Newtown Jets between 1973 and 1978. Hayward had been selected to represent Australia as a boxer at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal...
, who was also charged with trafficking.
Though Smith has been charged with eight murders, he has only been convicted of the murder of brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
owner Harvey Jones and the murder-in-company of a tow-truck driver named Ronnie Flavell during an incident of road rage.
Blue Murder
Smith's claimed exploits, and those of allegedly corrupt New South Wales police officers, are depicted in the mini-series Blue MurderBlue Murder (mini-series)
Blue Murder is a two-part Australian television miniseries produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1995, and is based on true events. Given its confronting content, the DVD release was classified MA 15+...
, based on Smith's book, Neddy, and produced by Australia's public broadcaster, ABC TV
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
. First aired in most of Australia in 1995, the show was banned in New South Wales until 2001 due to the ICAC hearings, the Wood Royal Commission and outstanding contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
charges. Australian actor Tony Martin
Tony Martin (actor)
Tony Martin is an Australian actor. He married Rachael Blake on 21 December 2003. His son, Justin, is also an actor, with appearances in Somersault and Blue Water High to his credit....
played Smith, while Richard Roxburgh
Richard Roxburgh
Richard Roxburgh is an Australian actor who has starred in many Australian films and has appeared in supporting roles in a number of Hollywood productions, usually as villains.-Early life:...
played Rogerson.
In Blue Murder, Smith is shown murdering whistle-blower prostitute Sallie-Anne Huckstepp
Sallie-Anne Huckstepp
Sallie-Anne Huckstepp was an Australian prostitute and heroin addict who became a writer and whistleblower.-Life:Huckstepp was born Sallie-Anne Krivoshow and attended Dover Heights High School in Sydney. She left school at the age of seventeen and married Bryan Huckstepp...
. Smith was recorded in his prison cell
Prison cell
A prison cell or holding cell or lock-up is a small room in a prison, or police station where a prisoner is held.Prison cells are usually about 6 by 8 feet in size with steel or brick walls and one solid or barred door that locks from the outside. Many modern prison cells are pre-cast. Solid doors...
confessing to this crime, and later made the same confession to his publisher. However, he has otherwise consistently denied involvement in the murder and has maintained that he knew he was being secretly recorded in his cell and made the statement to gain publicity for his book. He was subsequently charged with Huckstepp's murder, but was acquitted
Acquittal
In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...
. In his second book, Catch and Kill Your Own, Smith implies ignorance, but told writer John Dale he knows who committed her murder and would release the information once the killer is dead.
Later life
Diagnosed with Parkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
in 1981, Smith served 14 years in Long Bay Correctional Centre
Long Bay Correctional Centre
Long Bay Correctional Complex is located in the suburb of Malabar in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Long Bay comprises six institutions, four maximum security and two minimum security.-History:...
, NSW, and was a regular patient at the prison hospital. In 2003 he was moved to Lithgow Correctional Centre
Lithgow Correctional Centre
Lithgow Correctional Centre is a maximum security Australian prison located on the Great Western Highway at Marrangaroo, New South Wales, Australia....
. In 2008, The Daily Telegraph reported that Parkinson's medication had ceased being effective and that Smith's health had deteriorated, leaving him unable to maintain balance and using a wheelchair. Despite being imprisoned for the rest of his life, Smith continues to refuse to assist police with ongoing investigations of unsolved murders, which were not covered by the immunity granted to him in exchange for his testimony against allegedly corrupt police officers at the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Wood Royal Commission hearings.