Don Hancock
Donald Leslie Hancock (known as Don Hancock) (5 January 1937 – 1 September 2001) was a Western Australian policeman, who was at the centre of doubts involving the investigation of the Perth Mint Swindle.
Hancock was born in Boulder, Western Australia on 5 January 1937, to Leslie John Hancock and Melba May (nee Bourke).[1] He worked in the family's gold mine at Grant's Patch near Ora Banda, before joining the Western Australian Police in 1959. Initially part of the Gold Stealing Detection Squad, he transferred to the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) in 1966. He worked in various detective branches before becoming officer-in-charge of the CIB in 1989, and retired on 28 January 1994.[2] He retired to Ora Banda to run the historic inn.
In the book Mickelberg Stitch, author Avon Lovell captioned a photograph of him with the name The Grey Fox.[3]
Hancock was killed on 1 September 2001 in Lathlain by a bomb placed under his car.[4]
Tony Lewandowski, a police colleague, committed suicide on 18 May 2004. Before his death, he had identified himself and Hancock as being responsible for fabricating evidence against the three Mickelberg brothers in the Perth Mint Swindle investigation.[5]
Notes
- ^ "Births". Kalgoorlie Miner. 6 January 1937. p. 4.
- ^ Police Union of Western Australia (6 September 2001). "Don Hancock Tribute".
- ^ Lovell, Avon (2002), The Mickelberg stitch (2nd. ed.), Creative Research, ISBN 978-0-908469-25-3
- ^ Australian Police Journal - https://apjl.com.au/articles/the_murder_of_don_hancock
- ^ See page 243 of the book by Avon Lovell - Lovell, Avon (2010), Litany of lies : a true story of gold heists, bombings, feral cops, greed, murder & revenge, bookscope.com.au, ISBN 978-0-9808715-0-0