Lee Torney
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007) |
| Lee Patrick Torney | |
|---|---|
| Died | 2005 Chewton, Victoria, Australia |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
Lee Patrick Torney was a career criminal from Melbourne, Australia. Torney was sentenced to life for the murder of fellow criminal Sidney Graham but due to a change in sentencing laws was released on lifetime parole after 11 years. He was known to have close links with the Williams family, and police informer and former Williams' friend known only as Mr X told police that it was rumoured Torney had carried out 'hits' for the Williams family. Torney was also known to have said that he couldn't shoot a deer but that he had no such problem with shooting people.
Knowing (again from Torney's own accounts) that Torney had done 'hits' for the Williams family, Holden immediately was struck with the thought that the Williams family would not be happy with someone killing one of their own for whatever reason and would seek revenge, so he decided that the safest course of action was to do what Torney had threatened to do with Holden after killing him, and that was to put Torney's body in one of the numerous mine shafts dotted throughout the Crown Land at the rear of his property.
The Purana Taskforce who were investigating the Melbourne gangland killings regarded Torney as missing, believed dead, and when his body was retrieved from the mineshaft on 7 March 2006, they initially suspected him of being the 29th victim of the gangland killings, but soon realised this was not the case.
Holden was eventually arrested and charged with murder, but pleaded not guilty on the grounds of self defence. Part way through the trial he was belatedly offered the charge of manslaughter rather than murder, and due to what can only be described as a legal technicality he was advised to plead guilty to this charge rather than continue with his plea of self defence, and he currently awaits sentencing. The only fortunate development is that while George Williams, the father of Carl Williams, initially showed interest in the legal proceedings, he has seemingly sensibly decided that the circumstances of Torney's death meant that it was not of his concern.
Any other additions to this story are false and can actually be proven by the Police.
