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Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 31 Location: New Zealand
Open Letter from a "NARC" ... Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:58 am
~ /
Kia Ora! and Greetings!
To the Owners, Moderators, Members and Guests of this Site...
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am a graduate of the Royal New Zealand Police College -- a former sworn constable, undercover police officer and "agent-provocateur" who worked for Criminal Intelligence (C.I.S.) during the 1970's
In recent time Campbell Live (here) and Television One (here) have broadcast programmes featuring this writer and there are several threads on this Site (here) and (here) addressing these matters
I am seeking contact with people convicted of criminal offences during the early to mid 1970's following drug trials around New Zealand where, as the Crown's principal witness, I lied to the courts and I lied to the juries to obtain those convictions
Immediately following this post on the same thread is a copy (in plain-text) of my letter to the Chief Justice of New Zealand, Dame Sian Elias, confessing to perjury
The government will not help me identify those former targets and I am trying a variety of approaches -- some unorthodox, such as this letter on the NORML Forums -- to find them
Should any target wish to seek remedy for their damages arising from my perjury I will assist them and/or their legal teams in any way I can
If this message applies to you, or to anyone you know, please contact me at the following address in the first instance:
mailto:patrick_john_obrien@hotmail.com
Thank you
Yours sincerely
Patrick John O'Brien
X-Constable 3667
17 March 2008
Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 31 Location: New Zealand
Letter to Chief Justice, Dame Sian Elias Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:07 am
Plain-text copy of letter to the Chief Justice of New Zealand, Dame Sian Elias . . .
========== {TITLE PAGE} ==========
"Whaika te Whakapono"
Seek for the Truth - Follow the Truth
=========== {PAGE 1} ==============
30 November 2007
Right Honourable
Dame Sian Elias
The Chief Justice
Chief Justices Chambers
PO Box 1091
Wellington
Dear Ma'am
Former Governor General and High Court Judge Sir David Beattie wrote
to Police Commissioner Ken Burnside in 1974 (circa) regarding a young
constable by the name of Patrick John O'Brien, No 3667.
Constable O'Brien, an undercover agent and agent-provocateur, had been
the Crown's principal witness in a series of drug trials that fully occupied
one calender of a circuit court session in the High Court at Hamilton which
Sir David presided over.
Later, when asked his reasons for writing, Sir David said . . ."I was
moved to do so because I was so impressed with the standards this man
had set himself, and the risks he had run, and the results he achieved."
(The Chris Gollins Show, Radio Windy, Wellington, 1986)
Indeed - Sir David's letter delivers a stunning testimony to Constable
O'Brien's evidence.
Credibility is the central theme and Sir David records the impressive
performance of this young constable throughout the trials. Unflinching in
the face of sustained attacks on his truthfulness by all defence teams,
Constable O'Brien's manner when presenting evidence ensured that juries
accepted him as credible.
And so they did.
With one exception - where the Crown failed to prove some substance
listed on an information was a narcotic - the jury in every case returned
with guilty verdicts on all charges and, subsequently, most defendants
were sentenced to periods of imprisonment.
In an ideal world, Dame Sian, this letter you are now reading would have
been addressed to Sir David Beattie because I was that young constable
and for more than 30 years I have carried a dreadful secret. In every
case and on every charge, I lied to Sir David and I lied to his juries.
Sir David is now dead and so I write to tell you, Ma'am, that I told lies
under oath to obtain convictions against the targets in my Waikato
undercover operation.
It gets worse. . .
=========== PAGE 2 ===========
My job in the Waikato was only one of many covert, agent-provocateur
operations I executed in the early to mid 1970s and in every case I lied to
the courts and I lied to the juries to obtain convictions against my targets.
Although I could not even guess the number of people with convictions or
prison time because of my lies, by way of illustrating the scale of my
wrong doing, I stopped counting arrests after eighteen months when my
tally was around 150 souls, and I did this work for three years.
Telling lies was easy - 'policemen don't tell lies' - and my targets never
stood a chance.
To effect my lies it was first necessary to deceive my Operators. These
were usually a highly ranked detective; local men, stationed and living in
the communities where I operated. Most of these men were tough (real
tough!) but without exception they were honest and would have brooked
no time for the methods I employed to obtain convictions.
Nominally, the Operator in each case was responsible for my field of
operation. In reality, though, I answered to the gray men who trained me
and on whose orders I obtained these convictions. They called
it "doomsday" work and instructed me to take this dreadful secret to the
grave.
Eventually, as you might expect, the work broke me. Hunted,
traumatised, and scared, I resigned the Police and fled New Zealand.
As it is for many agents, my life since has been a tragic waste; running,
always running, but never able to lose the demons that rush around in my
head. I am nearly 60 years old now and in what time is left to me, intend
correcting the wrong I have done.
Beginning with the targets of my Waikato operation, I will start knocking
on doors and apologise. Should any target wish to seek remedy for my
wrong, I will assist in whatever way I can.
Also, I will cooperate fully with any enquiry arising from my confession
and plead guilty to any charges that result. I will make no attempt to
mitigate my lies, nor will I attempt to leverage dispensation on the
grounds of following orders. Following orders is no excuse, I knew I was
doing wrong.
Now I will face the truth. . .
Yours sincerely
Patrick John O'Brien
X-Constable 3667
============ PAGE 3 ==========
{ EDITS: } . . .
(i) the original, digitally signed document in *.PDF format is available on-line and may be downloaded from here:
Joined: Feb 19, 2004 Posts: 1376 Location: Nelson area
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:30 am
As a police officer you must have kept some records even if it was just a general date for trials you were involved with. Look at spending some time at the library looking at court reporting.
Not only should you be contacting those that you did harm to through your lies. You should show some sort of action. You could consider speaking out on the harms of cannabis prohibition being that you were involved in doing some of those harms.
One of Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party's conditions in the removal of cannabis from the Misuse of Drugs Act (1975) is to wipe ALL past cannabis convictions. Being an election year you could, if you wanted, speak-out, explaining to people (the public) how prohibition is being used by the police as a weapon to take short-cuts to achieve their desired results. Using cannabis (Misuse of Drugs Act) to avoid obtaining search warrants for access to peoples homes, and to continue their on-going harassment towards young people in New Zealand.
Steven _________________ Regulation will set cannabis free
Wow!! That's a great offer. I only hope that there are some victims of prohibition that can take you up on it because the problem seems to lie in discovering who your victims are. Can you remember any names, details etc? (Or were you too wasted at the time .) I guess if anyone even suspects that you may have been involved in their getting busted then they should contact you to find out.
Anyway, good on you for offering to help.
X-Constable3667, obviously there are a great number of issues surrounding your coming forward at this time. While your motives for doing so may be varied, and numerous - I am sure much of it is to some extent how to repent for your sins and alleviate any sense of guilt that has festered within you for all these years.
It goes without saying that if you make friends, and good friends at that - and then 'sodomise' those friends through the courts; that eventually that 'betrayal' will come back to 'haunt' you especially when you know, and you knew then, that most of those 'friends' were actually 'good' people who posed no harm to anybody.
Some might say 'let sleeping dogs lie'. But then again if 'lie' is the key word then it's a catch-22 isn't it? Of course you do what you know you have to and that is to face up to your own demons which were manifest as a result of denying your own humanity all those years ago.
One thing which Steveoh touched upon is this: there is some merit and truth in doing what you plan to do, in possibly setting the scales of justice right with regards to the past. But what is far more constructive and practical and important, is to prevent these same 'horrors' from happening again. It is all very well to speak of Gallipolli, but if people continue to make war today, what use is the speak?
What I would suggest is that you become more vocal about how great a lie prohibition is. It is all very well to wish to remedy the wrongs of the past, but right now in some court room yet another victim is being branded by the state on behalf of the 'U.S war on drugs in NZ'. It be no good to speak about the holocaust, and seek compensation for the victims of the past, if the present and the future look just as sinister.
One thing I would say to you above all is this is keep in mind that you too were a 'victim'. Also, know that your supperiors to some extent were victims as well. Indeed, those politicians who created and facilitated the very policy of prohibition, while they may not have suffered directly; were in fact sucked into an international drug war sponsored by the USA which continues to this day and causes so much dysfunction in NZ society and around the world for that matter.
Congratulations too for fessing up and seeking the truth as opposed to more lies - burying your head in the sand which is what most politicians do with regard to prohibition, tantamount to treason. Remember, prohibition is a 'disease' and you were merely infected by it. While you made a choice to 'fuck over' your 'friends' - a part of you was not responsible - for you were 'young and naive' and should not attempt to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Someone needs to give you a big hug and say "It's ok bro', we all make mistakes." And then you should think about doing something good with your life of which you have many many years left. It is not the end of the world.
Once you have addressed the systematic 'abuse' meted out by the courts on so many NZ'rs on behalf of the U.S drug war - as a result of your perjury - then you can rise again and begin to live a credible fulfilling life. Because it goes without saying that cannabis convictions for example can destroy lives. Every year a certain number of cannabis related homicides are 'tolerated' as part of the policy of the perpetuation of the U.S drug war in NZ. It is high time someone said 'enough is enough!'
Joined: Mar 16, 2008 Posts: 1 Location: New Zealand
Search for victims of your perjury Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 2:35 pm
Hi,
I'm a reporter from The Press and keen to talk to you about the response to your posts.
Can you call me on 03 9432640 or email on kim.thomas@press.co.nz with your details as soon as possible?
Cheers
Kim
Patrick,
Firstly , Thanks, it took some soul searching I bet, to do what you have done.. I appreciate the need to make amends is a prime motivator.. and that is understandable.
I would suggest you were not as responsible as the burden you carry.. I had the opportunity to talk at length with a number of other operatives back in the mid late 80's who were struggling with drugs and alcohol and the same torment ... It seems the controllers /Greys have a lot to answer for.. But most of them have well gone now I would expect... Most of them were older, mature old hands , corrupting wide-eyed and keen young men.. even worse, young ladies .. what some of them went through in the name of just doing a job ?????
I intended going into the Auckland Library and do some manual searches, have asked a couple of law students to do some searches , they have access to more stuff on electronic data base..
Have you tried Pat Booth?? or Greg Newbold.??
I know earlier we wrote up the undercover busts, even photos I think (grin) in PDBarb . Maybe there will be copies somewhere .. I have written and phoned Tim Shadbolt a few times, sure he will have saved copies.. maybe thats worth a try??
I am trying to work out if you were part of my scene back in the 70's .. your old photo does look familiar .
My scene was more light social user, weekend hippies by the 70's .. A few of the less fortunate ones were busted by undercover operations..
I note you did not mention one of the most disturbing things about many of the undercover busts we experienced back then.. The planting of evidence before a raid to ensure it was going to be successful...
I moved away from the recreational drugs including alcohol in 1977 and actually joined the other camp.. and lost touch with most of the associates from back then..
But remember one Law student, planted drugs ( know they were, the house was clean, we were expecting a bust had had a tip off) wrecked his future .. A lot of people busted back then would be today's pillars of society.. Some are I would imagine. .
Patrick In the mid 70's did you ever rapidly exit a house in Pt Chev through a closed window ????? Teds House??
Like many of the others have said.. You may not be able to address the past, consider doing something for the future.. not only speak out about the bits you want to deal with but consider giving consideration to the harm cannabis prohibition may be doing.
This in itself is a worthy cause..
And remember some of the bust you did make would have been real scum bag, not all of them would have been passive cottage cannabis only .... There was some heavy Heroin and other stuff out there doing some real harm..
Good luck, remember the system will deal with you in the same honest and open manner it deals with the cannabis issue ..
And remember some of the bust you did make would have been real scum bag , not all of them would have been passive cottage cannabis only ....There was some heavy Heroine and other stuff out there doing some real harm..
oh try not to label 'scumbag' heroin etc - few dealers ever got caught - but lots of users did. lots of them had children. i've never heard a mother, drug user or not, who said she didn't want the best for her kids. when getting involved with class A distribution they blew it, and got more shite for their kids. noone ever thinks they'll really get busted.
isn't the greatest single indicator of a child going off the rails having a parent in prison ? whether heroin or other drugs, makes no difference to the children, they still will be without a parent. no need to be a snob.
XLH
That was not who I was considering when I referred to scum bags..
The ones I was referring to were too clever to be users .
Your suggestions were just the victims .. and yep unfortunately most of the real scumbags got away with it.. while the small time users / dealer to pay for habit got busted.. Not helped..
Joined: Sep 26, 2007 Posts: 390 Location: New Zealand
Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:45 pm
i have alot of respect for you for admitting what you have and doing the right thing, while you have made mistakes in the past i do hope that you can achieve reconciliation and happiness through uncovering the truth.
what annoys me, is that regardless of your admission, the courts have done nothing.
i have been charged with a few convictions that would never have been made had officers not lied and changed witness statements
every time an officer stands up in court to give verbal evidence, he or she is automatically taken as credible and the suspect is sentenced accordingly.
but in saying that, i personally have no respect for the law because of such things.
a lot of youth these days have the view of "i might as well do crime because im going to get put away even if i dont do it"
Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 31 Location: New Zealand
Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 11:57 am
`
Greetings!
Thank you very much for the thoughtful comments posted on this thread, and also those sent to me via the PM function or direct Email
I will soon arrive in Hamilton to meet my former targets -- the first of many centres around New Zealand -- and your assistance in this regard is most appreciated
Enclosed, for your information . . .
(1.) Here is the press statement released by police administrators in response to my confessions:
"...A significant portion of the allegations made by Mr O'Brien
to TV3 have been investigated on several previous occasions,
by Police and by independent investigators.'
'Those previous investigations, of the perjury allegations, could
not obtain sufficient evidence of perjury to enable the cases to
be further prosecuted or otherwise pursued with the former
undercover agents.'
'However, NZ Police view Mr O'Brien's most recent comments
very seriously. He has raised new allegations relating to
tampering with evidence. We look forward to his cooperation
in helping investigate these new allegations.'
'We are working to engage an independent investigator -
a Queens Counsel - to conduct the investigation into
Mr O'Brien's latest allegations. That person will be in contact
with Mr O'Brien once the terms and scope of the investigation
have been finalised..."
(2.) Here is an {edited extract} of an email from police administrators advising of their "independent" inquiry:
TO: Patrick John O'Brien
FROM: {police administrators}
"Mr O'Brien... I have been asked to advise you that
NZ Police have appointed Bruce Squire QC to look into
the allegations you have made. Mr Squire will be
initiating contact with you in the near future."
Joined: Jan 26, 2007 Posts: 474 Location: amsterdam (in my head)
Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 12:05 pm
DR_CRONIC wrote:
you deserve to be shot you pig
na bro thats not right, he WAS scum.
NOW he has seen it was wrong and come forward,
do you know how many DO NOT come forward, and hide it for the rest of their lives ?
now i say u need 2 revise wat u think "DR_CRONIC" because even though he did this stuff, as he said if you were harmed by him that he will help out as much as he can. Now isn't that better than him not coming forward and just thinking "fuck the innocent people ive hurt" ?
now i say it takes guts to come forward, obviously more then you have
Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 31 Location: New Zealand
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:57 am
`
Fáilte! Kia Ora! Greetings!
Enclosed, for your information . . .
(1.) Email from Howard Broad's "independent" investigator:
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008
From: Featherston Chambers
To: O'Brien
Subject: Fw: Police Inquiry {Edit: note the "Fw_"}
Dear Mr O'Brien,
I understand that you have been advised by the New Zealand Police that I
have been appointed to inquire into the allegations made in your letters
of 30 November 2007 and 22 January 2008 to the Chief Justice and the
Registrar of the High Court at Hamilton respectively.
My Terms of Reference require me to identify and clarify the allegations
made by you that whilst a Police Officer you told lies and tampered with
evidence to obtain convictions, to assess the implications and veracity
of those allegations, and to determine whether in any case there is a
reasonable basis to suspect criminal offending which would justify a
formal Police Investigation being initiated. At the conclusion of my
Inquiry I am required to provide the Commissioner of Police with a
report.
I would like to begin the Inquiry as soon as possible within the
framework of my other commitments. In that connection I have a trial
commencing on 7 April 2008 which I expect to last not less than six
weeks, so that it is unlikely I will be able to make any significant
progress in this inquiry until after that. However, it would be of
assistance to me in defining the parameters of my Inquiry if you could
provide me with the following information:
(i) The nature of the lies which you have indicated in the
correspondence previously referred to, you gave in evidence in the
particular cases you have identified.
(ii) If possible, the cases, perhaps by reference to the names of
the defendants, in which the lies were told. In that connection I note
that you refer to a 'circuit court session' presided over by Justice
Beattie in the Hamilton High Court in 1974. Is it the position that the
lies you say were told to the Court were confined to cases heard during
that time.
If you would be good enough to provide me with the information I have
requested above, that will enable me to begin inquiries into the
particular cases with which I will be concerned, so that once the trial
I have is completed, some progress will have been made in expediting
this inquiry.
I look forward to receiving your reply.
Yours faithfully
Bruce Squire QC
(2.) Letter to police - from this writer:
Howard Broad
The Commissioner
NZ Police Department
PO Box 3017
WELLINGTON
Dear Mr Broad
Whaika te Whakapono: Seek for the Truth - Follow the Truth
You advise the appointment of R.B. (Bruce) Squire QC as your "independent" investigator
following my admission of perjury and evidence tampering to obtain convictions against my
targets while working for your Criminal Intelligence Section as a sworn Police Constable
Kindly provide me the following:
(1.) Your terms of reference for your “independent” inquiry
(2.) The names of my targets . . . you have identified to date
Please note that without further notice to you I will write to both the Ombudsman and the
Privacy Commissioner if this information has not reached my hand within 21 days
* Digital Signature Affixed:
{ 20080407:11:19:48+12'00' }
Note: thank you again to members of this Forum for their ongoing help and support in identifying my former targets . . .
I would gather you are running into some brick walls.. I understand all participants , especially those who could actually come on board and support you have chosen to not get involved..
The experience of those who have gone before you ( Frontline) is a real turn off.
Its seems those who have manged to get it together , put it behind them don't want to have the old wounds opened.. and thats both police and victims .. and the system can't afford for it to get open and honest exposure..
What you need is one good old fashioned Journo like Pat Booth in his hey day to keep it in the public arena and encourge others to come on board..
By the way as some one exposed to the drug scene , the more seedy side for the most part have you formed an opinion on the cannabis prohibition you would care to share.??
Joined: Jan 29, 2006 Posts: 400 Location: Wellington
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:54 pm
Have you tried circling this around social activist groups? IndyMedia, Wildcat Anarchist Collective, <whatever's applicable to the region>, etc? I can't think of any of the ex-convicts for drugs-related offenses I know who actually use computers. _________________ Remember, what the dormouse said...
Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 31 Location: New Zealand
An "independent" investigator/inquiry... Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 2:36 pm
`
Kia Ora! Greetings!
In an earlier posting on this thread (Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:57 am) there is a copy of an email from the Police Department's "independent" investigator following my confession of perjury and evidence tampering
I have now formally responded to the investigator's email
For the purpose of transparency, my response has been posted online . . . in-lieu of a reply by letter
Joined: Jun 07, 2006 Posts: 219 Location: Blenheim
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:58 am
Wow, this gives me real hope that the tall-poppy, small mindedness which small towns, old folks homes, and the new zealand government is full of, will be finally shown up.
Shown up by the "Search for the truth".
A small redeeming light for all those burnt by these attitudes - especially in regards to the governments "horse blinkered" policies and the police.
I hope it goes well for you and your victims Patrick _________________ Music Production, Mixing, Mastering and Recording Engineering
bloody good to see at least one officer whether x or current
admitting their faults.
This sort of thing is still happening to people today. but the best way to change the world , we have to start with our own back yard.
Im a victim of police planting evidence and telling lies in court to get what they want.
my case should have been inadmissible, but because what the dirty filth said to the jury a conviction was made. My lawyer said himself i don't have a leg to stand on because of what the police had produced.
So just plead guilty. But i didn't, I fought to the bitter end and got a longer sentence but at least i was honest and didn't back down to the truth.
So what! I grew some dope for myself , I'm not a criminal and i am a wonderful father to my children.
Its my kids that have felt the wrath of the law and still cry at nights freaking out that their family will be invaded again and they will take their dad away again.
My cannabis use was hidden from them , and their dad is their hero and didn't understand why i was put in prison with rapists and murders when i have a good heart.
I only hope Mr X, that once your statement becomes precedent the people might get a fair trial in the future.
good luck in fighting your demons, even though your victims probably
still today feel the damage you have done, and the ripple effect from this will be massive. Breeding new generarions of police hatred etc. _________________ pretzel 4 bush!!
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.) I guess if anyone even suspects that you may have been involved in their getting busted then they should contact you to find out.
