Hi my name is Steve Protheroe I am Jason Protheroe’s dad. I just wanted to further address a few of my comments I made in reference to some of the questions asked by Steve Austin ABC612 radio programme. I thank Steve Austin for being the only media representative to actually care enough to even listen to what I have to say. I have not seen this level of integrity in any other media programme. First issue to raise is the question put to me which was “What role did Jason play on the day that led to him being shot?” First of all the question itself to me is impossible to answer on the spot. But given time to reflect my answer is quite simple “Jason played the biggest role of all he was the victim”. As for my comment saying wells running dry, the last thing I would ever want to do is publicly tell anyone where I stand financially. However, I will now answer in this way. “I may or may not be a wealthy man, but between myself my wife and my children we have enough resources to see most importantly Thomas Hess face a jury for the killing death of our son, and his partner Troy Weston for what I believe to be his untruthful testimony backed up by the Coroners own Counsel and right hand man Mr Peter Johns who in his submissions was very adamant that very little weight be placed on the testimony of Troy Weston the partner of Thomas Hess especially in regard to whether Jason was in fact pointing a weapon at Thomas Hess. He in fact said that one would have serious doubts as to whether Troy Weston in fact saw anything that might have been a gun or any other object in Jason’s hands. I would also like to point out the submission made by Peter Johns on the evidence given by Krystal Sinn the only non-police eye witness who was there when it happened. In His submission he stated that there is no basis you would comfortably find or find at all that Krystal Sinn is lying. Based on all the evidence, documentation and interviews we have my family and I concurred with these submissions made by Peter Johns. And no we haven’t forgotten about the officers who I believe told deliberate untruths on the stand. When I was growing up to lie on the stand was called perjury, that in itself was considered a criminal offence that a person was indicted for, in Jason’s case they called it an untruth or sometimes they even called it confusion, you work it out for yourself. What’s happened to the term investigative journalism? It seems to me that all the media is running scared after a non-publication order put in place by the State Coroner 5 days after the inquest was closed, which in itself is questionable as the law states any non-publication orders must be put in place immediately. I ask myself what’s wrong with the media of this country and why is no journalist interested in supporting me, talking to me and hearing the facts as we know it. The media was very quick to jump on this story when it happened when Ian Leavers was sprouting off that Jason was a career criminal who hunted down police. But yet when proven that Jason was shot in the back twice and that Thomas Hess who shot Jason dead was the only person who actually saw any alleged weapon in his hands, no journalist wants to tell the public the real story. I challenge any member of the media to contact me and listen to what I have to say. I ask you as a member of the public do you not find it unusual that the media has not even tried to do a story on what really happened to Jason on that day and how he could possibly have been shot in the back twice whilst standing in a stationary position with his arm or arms outstretched allegedly pointing a toy replica pistol at Thomas Hess and the only non-Police witness who has been never swayed from the fact that Jason was unarmed. This is my message to the any media worldwide, if you don’t have the guts to stand up to the Qld Police hierarchy or the Qld government who has noticeably gagged all of the evidence of the inquest and said nothing, then attack me, attack what I’m saying, and prove to the public that the Qld Police hierarchy and Qld government have told the truth that what I am saying is wrong. From day 1, I have never knowingly told a lie aka committed perjury or an untruth. I am not scared of the truth nor am I scared of speaking the truth. I challenge you to use your investigative brains to talk to me I am someone you don’t have to be scared of. I know you feel threatened by the non-publication order but I am sure the Coroner didn’t gag anyone from trying to prove me a liar. Prove to me that some media source cares, prove to me that you are not scared to do investigative journalism. My son’s life is worth that much. Isn’t any person’s life worth that much.
Steve Protheroe
