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Private Notes
Four men, all career criminals, are charged over the fatal shooting of a policeman and the serious wounding of another, during an armed hold up. When they walk free because of a legal technicality, the city reels in shock.
Steve Hennessey’s girlfriend, Kirsty Nicholls, turns to the police for protection in return for giving evidence against Mal on a drug charge. With the Hennessey family in the court watching her every move, her courtroom experience is a nightmare.
Mal and Steve Hennessey, along with their defacto brother-in-law Darren Mack, are once again up on drug charges. With the prosecution armed with video and audio evidence and the testimony of reformed heroin addict Dale Cassidy, everything appears to be in place to convict them — until defence barrister Michael Kidd goes to work, destroying Cassidy's credibility.
Having attacked Kirsty outside of court months earlier [ep 3], Rhonda Hennessey is now on trial herself facing a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice for threatening Kirsty to keep her from testifying against Mal and Steve. Despite a last minute attempt by the defence to keep Kirsty from testifying due to her delicate condition (she is now six months pregnant with Steve's child), Kirsty takes to the witness stand for the prosecution but in recounting the incident, she is evasive and downplays Rhonda's threats.
A youth is charged with a long list of offences, including attempted murder, after a high-speed chase ends with him nearly running down a police officer. The young man refuses to give his name to investigators and is remanded into custody until such time as he reveals his name.
Steve Hennessey appeals for bail on a minor drug charge, and his lawyer Michael Kidd plays the system well. Kidd delays the hearing to a date when all the top prosecutors will be tied up and gets the case before a favourable magistrate.
The pressure is finally beginning to tell on Steve Hennessey. He has a fight with his girlfriend Kirsty the night before his bail hearing and goes out to drown his sorrows. He ends up crashing at a mate’s house and misses his bail hearing. This is not a clever move as the robbery squad have linked him with a recent bank job. The police haul him back to jail and charge him with armed robbery.
Steve Hennessey is still on the run. However, Kenny, a small-time crook and criminal colleague of Steve’s, is facing an attempted murder charge after a bank job went wrong and he wants to make a deal with the cops. Kenny used to use the Hennesseys’ safe house whenever the heat "got a bit tropical" and he is sure that is where Steve is hiding now and offers Peter Faithful the address as part of a plea bargain.
Vic Manoulis tries to remain impartial when justice-seeker Michael Kidd takes on the defence of two detectives charged with assaulting a bouncer, an event that leaves the cops with a lot of mixed emotions. Kidd is a crafty operator, but a man who makes a living defending cop-killers seems somewhat inapt for this case.
The drug trial of Steve Hennessey and Darren Mack begins in the County Court with Michael Kidd and Vic Manoulis taking their places at the bar table. The prosecution’s case isn†t helped by their star witness, Dale Cassidy, a former drug addict who knows that turning on the Hennessey’s may cost him his life, being so scared of retribution from the Hennessey clan that he attempts suicide on the first morning of the trial. He does, however, finally make it to court and puts in a surprisingly good performance, despite being scowled at by Mal and made to sound unreliable by Michael Kidd.
It seems that fate is conspiring to keep Steve Hennessey out of jail—even though the evidence against him is overwhelming. As Steve and Darren Mack’s heroin-dealing trial enters its fourth week, a lengthy prison sentence looks likely, given their appalling past records, and Steve’s recent jail escape hasn’t exactly endeared him to the authorities.
Peter Faithful’s evidence against Steve Hennessey and Darren Mack proves to be extremely incriminating. However, it is up to Michael Kidd to discredit the experienced detective. He accuses Peter of conducting a vendetta against the Hennessey family, improper police practices, carrying out illegal searches on the Hennessey home, and planting drugs.
Peter Faithful’s evidence against Steve Hennessey and Darren Mack proves to be extremely incriminating. However, it is up to Michael Kidd to discredit the experienced detective. He accuses Peter of conducting a vendetta against the Hennessey family, improper police practices, carrying out illegal searches on the Hennessey home, and planting drugs.
Charged with murder and facing a life in prison, Mal Hennessey is planning an escape, but he can't do it without the help of his younger brother, Steve. Mal hides a blade in the prison van and makes his escape on the way to court. Steve is waiting for him with a motorbike and the pair don't stick around!
Steve Hennessey is dead, and Peter Faithful and his Tactical Response Squad team find themselves in the spotlight with many questions to be answered. Danny Wyatt fired the fatal shot, and the pressure of the investigation is pushing him to breaking point. Peter Faithful turns to the police psychologist for help as the probe into the shooting continues—the police have their backs to the wall, and internal inquiries are pointing to a cover-up!
Life is rough for Shirl Hennessey. Her son, Steve, is dead, shot by police. Her other son, Mal, is facing a possible life sentence for murder. She is left at home with her daughter, Rhonda, daughter-in-law Kirsty and their children. However, when she is arrested for shoplifting and possession of a pen pistol, Shirl sees a chance to get the break she needs—a short stint in jail away from life's pressures.
A minor drug case in the County Court puts the murder charge against Mal Hennessey in jeopardy when an inexperienced barrister paints a picture of the late Steve Hennessey as a "Mr. Big" of the drug trade.
After his escape, Mal was charged with the serious charge of Breach of Prison and his day in court has finally arrived. Everybody expects Michael Kidd to represent him, but the Hennessey's seemingly bottomless money pit is empty. Mal has been in custody for months, Shirl is in jail and Steve is dead.
Michael Kidd's financial gravy train, the Hennessey family and their ongoing court battles, has stopped until Mal appears in court charged with murder. Kidd is forced to look at other cases to maintain his lifestyle of expensive cars and fast bikes. He takes on the defence of a young law student charged with culpable driving after a car accident left one girl dead and another one seriously injured. Prosecutor Jenny Hanson is daunted by the prospect of appearing against the legendary Michael Kidd. Ian Bisley is more concerned about his future as a solicitor than the death of the young girl, and will not admit to himself that he is responsible. He flatters Kidd, clouding the barrister's normally astute legal mind. Kidd's defence is uninspiring, and Bisley is convicted and sentenced to two years in jail.
Peter Faithful and his TRS team face the glare of media and public limelight and their reputations are on the line as the inquest into the shooting of Steve Hennessey begins at the Coroner's Court, and Michael Kidd is all out to attract the media's attention…
Rhonda Hennessey's de facto husband, Darren Mack, attempts to run an extortion racket inside prison, but his first victim does not frighten easily and turns Darren in. The situation is exacerbated when Michael Kidd sees this as an opportunity to further discredit Peter Faithfull and his team.
Darren Mack is on trial for extortion. Michael Kidd is doing his best to prevent Darren's sentence from being increased, only to be sacked by the Hennessey in-law. However, unlike Mal, Darren's attempts to represent himself begins to verge on the ludicrous.
Shane, the youngest of the Hennessey brothers, ends up before magistrate Glenda de Bono for a second time when he is arrested and charged over a vicious assault and burglary. It was almost a year since de Bono put Shane on a good behaviour bond after he stole a car and became involved in a high-speed police chase.
A recaptured escapee puts the final piece in the jigsaw that is the murder case against Mal Hennessey. Gary Herbert's van was used to dump the body after Mal's temper erupted and he shot Pat Clancy in his living room and fear of Mal Hennessey prompts Gary to help the police.
The coroner delivers an open verdict on Steve Hennessey's death, but Peter Faithfull and his Tactical Response Squad have no idea that they theselves are the subject of an ongoing investigation.
Michael Kidd finds himself looking at the most unwinnable case he's ever contemplated. Mal Hennessey is charged with murder, with Shirl Hennessey being an accessory after the fact. Kidd believes that Mal has no chance of walking away a free man, and the only way he can save Shirl from a lengthy jail sentence is for Mal to plead guilty. However, trying to convince Mal of this will be one of the biggest challenges of Michael Kidd's illustrious career.
