Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
ABC News
ABC News
National
Kristian Silva

Convicted killer Bandali Debs gives evidence on second day of Jason Roberts re-trial over Silk-Miller killings

Victorian police officers Gary Silk (left) and Rodney Miller were shot and killed in Moorabbin in 1998. (ABC News)

A man involved in the fatal shooting of two Victorian police officers was secretly recorded planning to kill others to throw investigators off the scent.

Convicted murderer Bandali Debs was involved in the killings of Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rod Miller outside a Moorabbin restaurant in 1998.

Debs is giving evidence in Victoria's Supreme Court in the murder trial of Jason Roberts, who prosecutors allege was also responsible for the police slayings.

Roberts, now 41, has pleaded not guilty, saying he was not at the scene with Debs when the officers were shot dead.

In secret audio recordings captured about 18 months after the killings, Debs was heard talking to his daughter Joanne, and raised concerns that homicide detectives were closing in.

"Seriously, do you think I should get rid of the kid and the mother?" Debs asked, in a recording played to the court.

"No, what f***ing for?" Joanne replied.

"So they try and get the investigation to think that it's drug-linked or anything like that."

"There's no need. Seriously, there's no evidence, not one little bit," Joanne said.

Later, Debs said: "Two CPs (police) have got to go down so the investigation goes stupid."

Debs never followed through on the threat.

On Tuesday, Debs admitted shooting Senior Constable Miller and testified he heard shots coming from Roberts' direction.

Both officers died at the scene from gunshot wounds.

Debs claims recordings implicate Roberts

In another recording, Debs was heard talking about the night of the shooting with Malik Debs, who Bandali described as "like a father to me".

Bandali Debs is heard on the recording using the words "he", "we" and "us".

When asked by prosecutor Ben Ihle who he was referring to, Debs replied: "I'm talking about Jason Roberts."

Debs, who was testifying via videolink from a NSW prison, said he concocted a story to explain damage to the getaway vehicle, which had its windscreen shot out by Senior Constable Miller during the fight.

Debs told relatives he accidentally broke the windscreen with a piece of metal that he used in his job as a floor tiler.

On Tuesday the jury was told Debs and Roberts were convicted over the officers' deaths in 2002, but Roberts' conviction was eventually quashed and a retrial ordered.

Roberts, who was about 17 at the time of the killings, has pleaded guilty to carrying out several armed robberies with Debs but denies killing the officers.

Debs testified that the pair were checking out the Silky Emperor restaurant as a potential hold-up site when they were pulled over by Sergeant Silk and Senior Constable Miller, which led to the deadly exchange.

The trial continues.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.