Warning: this article contains extremely offensive and derogatory language that readers may find distressing.
The police officer who was acquitted of murdering a Warlpiri teenager in a court case earlier this year described Aboriginal people as c**ns, ni**as and neanderthals in text messages, an inquest has heard Wednesday.
Constable Zachary Rolfe, who is still serving as a Northern Territory policeman, shot Kumanjayi Walker three times during a botched arrest attempt in the remote community of Yuendumu in November 2019.
The 19-year-old died of his injuries hours later.
A jury acquitted Rolfe of murder and two alternative charges in February, but much evidence that was deemed inadmissible to the trial has since been revealed to the public, including the officer's violent arrests of four Aboriginal men and boys.
On Wednesday, the text messages were also revealed, currently being held in Alice Springs.
Rolfe's defence team had attempted to keep the texts hidden, but Coroner Elizabeth Armitage deemed them relevant to the inquest's scope of reference.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Peggy Dwyer read the texts to Sgt Anne Jolley, a 16-year veteran of the NT police force.
Dwyer read an exchange between Rolfe and another officer: "‘heard you had a rough arvo yesterday, grubby fucks’ and Const Rolfe replies to that officer, ‘No bra, just slightly annoying haha. C**ns, man’.”
Dwyer also read another exchange from July 2019: “The cops out here have fucked this town. They have been letting the ni**as drink wherever they want ha ha,” wrote one officer. To which Rolfe replied: “Bush cops are fucking shit house.”
Asked for her opinion on the content of the text messages, Sgt Jolley told the court she found them "disgusting".
Dr Dwyer asked: "Do you agree with me, Sergeant, that it is shocking to hear a serving member of the police force, in 2019, use that blatantly racist, disgusting term to refer to an Aboriginal person?"
"Yes," replied Sgt Jolley.
In another text, Dr Dwyer read: "Just don’t get why all that work has got me to the point where it’s my job to look after Neanderthals who drink too much alcohol, ha ha.”
Asked whether she thought that use of language to refer to Aboriginal people was "racist", Sgt Jolley told the court, "Yeah".
'Sexist', 'homophobic' texts also revealed
Dr Dwyer also read texts from Constable Rolfe that displayed derogatory language towards women and minority groups.
In September 2019, Dwyer explained to the court, an officer sent a text message to Constable Rolfe, who was disappointed not to be called up to the Tactical Response Group (the outfit he was deployed with when he shot Kumanjayi Walker later that year).
Dwyer told the court: "The police officer text Constable Rolfe, 'That’s their standard line now. Everyone knows people go out bush because they’re fucking lazy. Maybe that’s who they’re looking for now. The order of preference now is blacks, chicks, gays and lazy bastards, then Zach.'"
Asked to tell the court her comments on the content of that message, Sgt Jolley replied, "Wow, that’s disgraceful."
"And homophobic... and sexist?" asked Dwyer.
"Yes."
Coroner Elizabeth Armitage, in admitting the text messages to the inquest, said they were relevant as the court was examining whether racism played a part in Kumanjayi Walker's death.
Dr Ian Freckleton is representing the NT police force during the inquest. He said the texts were not representative of the force, and that all Territory officers should not be tarred with the same brush.
“Those are extremely regrettable expressions that have been employed by the officers concerned and you will not hear any justification or any rationalisation of those from the Northern Territory police force. And we do represent some of those members, and you will hear from them what their views are, as to what they have communicated," he said.
“Some of them at least will be expressing significant contrition to your honour, saying that those kinds of messages are not reflective of who they are, what their attitudes are, or both the attitudes of the force or their colleagues.”
The inquest continues.
