Chapter 14 argyle - State Law Publisher

FINAL REPORT
Mrs Lynette Crimmins, the former wife of Barry Crimmins, said that she met Noye a number
of times in Roddan’s presence, and can recall Noye saying that he expected to receive
diamonds and cash for assisting Roddan. Roddan is alleged to have said that Noye would
protect her, and that he was to receive a substantial sum of money for writing the matter
off. Noye took a statement from Mrs Crimmins that served to explain away any connection
between her former husband and Roddan that was, she said, almost totally the work of
Noye.
On 4 August 1992, Noye was fined $200 on a disciplinary charge relating to the improper
release of confidential information from the police computer. That charge was not related to
the Argyle investigation. Noye was at the time in the process of writing his final report that
was to recommend that the Argyle investigation be terminated. At about this time, Roddan
instructed his solicitors to approach Argyle and to tell the company that the police did not
have a case against him.
On 3 September 1992, Mrs Crimmins reported that her house had been broken into. Noye
attended and, Mrs Crimmins claimed, suggested that she inflate her insurance claim by
including additional items of property that had not been stolen. In return, Noye was to
receive 10 per cent or $1,000. Mrs Crimmins said that she later gave money to Noye, and
that he led her to believe it was to be used to travel to Victoria on a private trip, during
which he planned to see her former husband.
On 16 September 1992, Noye produced his final report. That report was strongly supportive
of Roddan. In particular, Noye wrote:
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I can categorically state that I am confident that at no future time will any
evidence be disclosed that will provably show that the diamonds claimed by
[Roddan’s company] were illicitly removed from the control of the complainant …
by any person [or that] there is any valid evidence of the existence of an organised
consortium of mine staff and/or others engaged in the theft of diamonds from
Argyle mine.
The report was also highly critical of a number of potential witnesses. The recommendation
that the investigation be concluded was accepted by Noye’s superior officers.
On 18 November 1992, Noye travelled to Victoria on a private holiday and, whilst there, he
arranged to meet with Crimmins. It has been alleged that, during this meeting, he gave
assurances that no one would be charged, and that Crimmins should seek to get back his
job at Argyle.