Gone for a Song: A Death in Custody on Palm Island by Jeff Waters

Book Description

Secondhand. Good condition. Wear to book corners and edges. Previous owner has added ownership sticker to inside page. Interior and binding are still very good.

In November 2004, happily drunk and singing, Mulrunji, a popular member of Palm Island's Aboriginal community, was picked up by the police. Between the paddy wagon and the cells, there was an altercation with the arresting officer, Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley, and an hour later, Mulrunji was dead, alone in his cell.

The autopsy reports sparked riots on the island that left the police station, barracks and courthouse in ruins. Queensland's acting State Coroner found that Mulrunji died as a result of the actions of Senior Sergeant Hurley, who was later at trial acquitted of manslaughter.

This death in custody sparked not just the riots on Palm Island but a wave of protest across Queensland, with hundreds, even thousands, marching in Brisbane and Townsville.

Senior correspondent Jeff Waters brings years of investigative journalism experience to examine what happened between Mulrunji's arrest and Senior Sergeant Hurley's acquittal. Along the way, he discovered a problematic investigation and a community still reeling from yet another blow in a long line of injustices which stem from the time that dislocated Aboriginal people were taken to Palm Island from their native lands.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers, please note that this book may contain descriptions and/or images of people who have passed away.