In the early 1980s, Ron (Rotten Ron) Woodham was promoted to Superintendent of Internal Investigations of the NSW Department of Corrective Services, a powerful position that could well be said, he created for himself.
During his period of influence as the Superintendent of the Internal Investigations Unit, he gathered a large pack of “dogs” (prisoner informants), as a so called source of information. Christopher Lorenzo was one of Woodhan’s pack leaders.
During the 1970s, most Prison Officers gleaned information from prisoners from time to time. We all kept the identity of the informant secret. There were many reasons for prisoners to pass on information, mostly for revenge, or another prisoner trying to muscle in on their area, eg one prisoner may be trying to overthrow the bookmaker in the prison wing. Regardless, there was no direct reward for passing the information on to the prison authorities and the identities were never disclosed, a fact that Woodham was less careful with, often placing his “dog” (informant) in danger.
Woodham’s dogs however were different. For the best part, they were all heroin addicts. They would sell their own Grandmother’s soul for a benefit to themselves. You don’t have to go far to see the paybacks that were given to the prisoners in Woodham’s “dog kennel”. I would suggest that you take the time to read the ICAC Report on Investigation into the Use of Informers, Volume 1 and 2, January 1993, to realise how these prisoners were manipulated or they manipulated the system, to gain a vast array of privileges ranging from conjugal visits to early release in return for giving evidence against fellow prisoners and also Prison Officers.
Of course this evidence was extremely dubious, dangerous and unsafe at law. The ICAC Report clearly found that the practice was unacceptable and recommended its immediate discontinuation.
Christopher Lorenzo was placed on protection at Berrima Gaol in 1987. Protection prisoners are as a general rule hated by all other prisoners and most Prison Officers.
Whilst Lorenzo was at Berrima Gaol, I observed his girlfriend arguing with Andrew Tregurtha, a prisoner serving a life sentence for the insidious murders of Greek Consulate, Constantine Giannaris and school teacher Peter Parkes. This argument took place between the bars at the visiting section and the Gaol proper. Tregurtha was locked up by Assistant Superintendent Gardener immediately following the argument with Lorenzo’s girlfriend, not because of the argument but rather at Tregurtha’s own request.
The following morning sadly, Andrew Tregurtha, at that time only 22 years of age, was found hung in his cell by a young Prison Officer. I took the weight and held Tregurtha while Alan Pitt cut the cord from above his head and we both placed him on his bed for the Police. It was obvious to me that he had been dead for several hours, possibly not long after he had been locked in his cell after the argument with Lorenzo’s girlfriend, a pertinent point that was never investigated by the Police or the sitting Coroner.
Following his release, Lorenzo was later charged with murder and sentenced accordingly. It was not uncommon for Woodham’s “dogs” to continue on their careers as criminals. In Woodham’s case, the old adage applies, “If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas”!
I have been informed that Lorenzo died at the Prince of Wales Hospital on 9th January 2011. I can assure you that the only people grieving over his death would be his immediate family.
You can read more about my dealings with Christopher Lorenzo in my best selling eBook, “It’s All in the Fall”, available through Amazon.
This I believe.
Peter Egge
During his period of influence as the Superintendent of the Internal Investigations Unit, he gathered a large pack of “dogs” (prisoner informants), as a so called source of information. Christopher Lorenzo was one of Woodhan’s pack leaders.
During the 1970s, most Prison Officers gleaned information from prisoners from time to time. We all kept the identity of the informant secret. There were many reasons for prisoners to pass on information, mostly for revenge, or another prisoner trying to muscle in on their area, eg one prisoner may be trying to overthrow the bookmaker in the prison wing. Regardless, there was no direct reward for passing the information on to the prison authorities and the identities were never disclosed, a fact that Woodham was less careful with, often placing his “dog” (informant) in danger.Woodham’s dogs however were different. For the best part, they were all heroin addicts. They would sell their own Grandmother’s soul for a benefit to themselves. You don’t have to go far to see the paybacks that were given to the prisoners in Woodham’s “dog kennel”. I would suggest that you take the time to read the ICAC Report on Investigation into the Use of Informers, Volume 1 and 2, January 1993, to realise how these prisoners were manipulated or they manipulated the system, to gain a vast array of privileges ranging from conjugal visits to early release in return for giving evidence against fellow prisoners and also Prison Officers.
Of course this evidence was extremely dubious, dangerous and unsafe at law. The ICAC Report clearly found that the practice was unacceptable and recommended its immediate discontinuation.
Christopher Lorenzo was placed on protection at Berrima Gaol in 1987. Protection prisoners are as a general rule hated by all other prisoners and most Prison Officers.
Whilst Lorenzo was at Berrima Gaol, I observed his girlfriend arguing with Andrew Tregurtha, a prisoner serving a life sentence for the insidious murders of Greek Consulate, Constantine Giannaris and school teacher Peter Parkes. This argument took place between the bars at the visiting section and the Gaol proper. Tregurtha was locked up by Assistant Superintendent Gardener immediately following the argument with Lorenzo’s girlfriend, not because of the argument but rather at Tregurtha’s own request.
The following morning sadly, Andrew Tregurtha, at that time only 22 years of age, was found hung in his cell by a young Prison Officer. I took the weight and held Tregurtha while Alan Pitt cut the cord from above his head and we both placed him on his bed for the Police. It was obvious to me that he had been dead for several hours, possibly not long after he had been locked in his cell after the argument with Lorenzo’s girlfriend, a pertinent point that was never investigated by the Police or the sitting Coroner.
Following his release, Lorenzo was later charged with murder and sentenced accordingly. It was not uncommon for Woodham’s “dogs” to continue on their careers as criminals. In Woodham’s case, the old adage applies, “If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas”!
I have been informed that Lorenzo died at the Prince of Wales Hospital on 9th January 2011. I can assure you that the only people grieving over his death would be his immediate family.
You can read more about my dealings with Christopher Lorenzo in my best selling eBook, “It’s All in the Fall”, available through Amazon.
This I believe.
Peter Egge
