On Bondi Beach, 1997

Photographs of Roni Levi’s Death

Inconvenient Evidence

A split second before his death on Bondi Beach at 7.31 am on 28 June 1997, Roni Levi walks towards Senior Constable Anthony Dilorenzo and Constable Rodney Podesta, both about to shoot, as Senior Constable John Jones aims his revolver from the left and Senior Constable Grant Seddon lunges forward with a baton.

Frenchman Roni Levi was a mentally ill individual brandishing a knife, and following the coroner’s report, the police involved were cleared of any wrongdoing.

Exoneration of the police galvanised Roni Levi’s widow. A review of evidence undertaken by law students soon exposed the systemically flawed investigation of her husband’s death. These photographs proved to be crucial evidence, contradicting claims by Constable Podesta and Senior Constable Dilorenzo that they were threatened by Levi ‘lunging’ at them.

Three Police Integrity Commission hearings over eighteen months sought to determine whether Podesta and Dilorenzo were under the influence of drugs at the time of the shooting. Despite their denials, Podesta resigned in March 1998 and the following year was found guilty of supplying cocaine. His partner Dilorenzo was sacked from the NSW Police Service in June 1999 for failing to explain his involvement with known drug dealers.
Display item On Bondi Beach, 1997

 

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