Colin Wesley BROWN

On 9 April 1969, Senior Constable Brown of Dayboro Police Station was called to a dairy farm where an employee named Spencer was reported to be acting strangely. Brown had been called to the dairy farm by Mr Grech the owner. Grech reported that Spencer had allowed 170 gallons of milk to run out of a vat and he had subsequently been sacked from his job. Spencer had been employed at the farm for about seven months and before taking up the job he had been a patient of Wolston Park Psychiatric Hospital for four years.

Brown arrived at the Grech home about 9.30am. Mr Grech accompanied him to an old, unpainted weatherboard cottage occupied by Spencer. Grech led the way up the back steps and when Brown was on the fourth step, Spencer pointed a .22 calibre rifle out of a window and shot Brown in the chest at point blank range. Brown, who was seriously injured, and Grech retreated towards the police car with Spencer following. More shots were fired and Brown was hit again in the left side. He reached the car and retrieved his service revolver. Brown and Grech took cover behind the police car and Brown managed to fire six shots at Spencer before he collapsed. Spencer, uninjured, continued to shoot in the direction of the two men.

Grech left the protection of the car and crept up behind Spencer. He then managed, after a brief struggle, to overpower him. Grech tied Spencer up and called for help. Constable Brown was still alive when they got him into the ambulance for the long ride to the hospital but unfortunately he died a mile from this destination. Spencer was later found not guilty of murder on grounds of insanity.