EXTRACT FROM MY BOOK “ITS ALL IN THE FALL”

FREDRICK HAROLD HARBECKE – A COLD KILLER

MADE MY LIST OF HARDEST CRIM

I reported for duty one day whilst working in the hospital and was promptly told my duties had been changed and would remain changed until further notice.

Fred Harbecke had been admitted into the MRP hospital from Grafton intractable section. This simply meant to me Harbecke was one of the top 13 or so prisoners in the state of New South Wales, in other words he was high amongst the worst of the worst. I was to remain with him from 08.00 hours until 17.00 hours every day until he was transferred back to Grafton, meal breaks excluded, at which time I would be relieved by another handpicked officer.


I walked into the observation room in the hospital where Harbecke was locked in and I introduced myself, “My name is Egge, you can call me Mr Egge or Sir I will be here every day until you are moved back to where you came from”. Harbecke replied “Okay Mr Egge” I enquired, “What are you in the hospital for” He replied “I cut my wrist Mr Egge, I just needed a break out of the tracks”.  I looked down at his wrists that were both well bandaged.


Harbecke was a German National who had become a member of the feared French Foreign Legion and as a paratrooper, was a veteran of many campaigns. He had a reputation of being one of a handful of men in the world who could creep up behind a soldier in the desert, slit his throat and crawl away completely unseen.


He came to Australia about 1960.   It wasn’t long before he came under the notice of police and received six years hard labour for cheque fraud. He was a handful for the Prison Department as it was called in the 1960’s right from day one. In 1963 he was caught trying to escape out of his cell when a wedge he had placed in the cell door to prise it open, slipped and his hand was caught.  The pain must have been excruciating yet not a sound came from him. That resulted in his first trip to Grafton.


At Grafton Intractable section Harbecke had met Alan Dillion and James “Jimmy” Thornton. On their release the three men teamed up together and in 1968 shot and killed notorious Kings Cross Madam Helen Paunovic who had turned Police informer.


In addition Harbecke was charged with a second shooting murder that had occurred a few months earlier. Now back in gaol this time sentenced to Penal Servitude for life, he was again caught in the process of trying to escape in December 1968. As could be expected Harbecke was again escorted to Grafton intractable section.


The routine at Grafton Gaol is well documented, it is not a state secret.  On reception the prisoner was belted by four prison officers with rubber batons and everyday following. Legend has it that on this occasion Harbecke had his nose and jaw broken during the reception “biff”. Later in his cell he reset his nose and jaw, yet not a sound was heard during his self manipulation.  He was heard to say “it hurt to eat for a couple of days”.


So there I was in the observation room with this crim who had a reputation larger than life.  I bent down and whispered in his ear so he had to strain to hear what I was saying, “You’re not going to cause me any trouble while you’re here are you Harbecke?  “You won’t like me if you do and I know you know what I mean”.  Harbecke just looked at me with cold eyes that went straight through me and said, “I won’t be any trouble Mr Egge, I just needed a break from being bashed everyday”.

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

My next book due out before the end of November 2015, “Cutting the bars volume 2” will be dedicated to those Prison Officers who have through no fault of their own, have suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD, in the past, present and those in the future, across the world.

From my observations, all governments are well aware of PTSD, yet only pay lip service to it. Government and Departmental Officials make broad statements such as, “We have a number of psychologists available to assist officers with PTSD”.

This cannot be said more clearly, it is simply “bull shit”.  Tell me how many psychologists are employed that are completely dedicated to PTSD and have no other assigned duties?   Show me the compulsory programs that apply when an Officer is diagnosed with PTSD?   Show me the realistic budget that applies to the staff and programs?

My unscientific research shows a complete lack of understanding of what is required.  I believe that:

1. Following all major critical incidents, “compulsory” debriefings must take place, being chaired by the team leader and a trained and qualified psychologist must be present and available for advice and observation.
2. All Officers showing any signs of PTSD should be relieved from duty on full pay and placed in the care of a highly trained and dedicated psychologist, (there should be no shame attached to this).
3. The Officer concerned should have full support from the Department and confidence that his/her career is safe and will not be in jeopardy.
4. The Departments must give continual training to all Prison Officers at every level.
5. Positions within the Prison Systems must be identified as to their likely stress levels. ie low, medium or high, in order to enable Officers with PTSD to be placed in a low level stress area on a planned return to work programme, or to relieve Officers who work in high stress areas for organised periods to help prevent PTSS in the first instance.
6. Prison Officers need to be recognised for what they do and for their true worth, and I am not referring to money.
7. Consideration must be given to Prison Officers concerning their daily interaction with the type of criminals and the offences they have committed on society.
8. All Officers in management positions within institutions should be critically assessed for competency and re-trained where necessary.  It seems to me that prison staff have a complete lack of confidence in at least some of the management team within their prison, and in some cases this has been a direct contributor to PTSD. 
9. The practice of retiring or pensioning off Prison Officers diagnosed with PTSD should cease. Generally speaking, these Officers are proud of their contribution to their prospective prison systems and to my mind are entitled to be secure in their employment and looked after when they succumb to PTSD.
10. The Governments must supply ample funding for this to occur.

Peter Egge