The Australian says dead possums have been left on its reporter Cameron Stewart’s car and in his garage after he wrote a story critical of the Office of Police Integrity. In today’s Media section, the paper says:
“On the same day that The Australian ran a front-page story critical of the OPI earlier this month, a dead possum was found on the bonnet of Stewart’s car. “Another dead possum was found wedged into his garage door the following day.
” It is unknown if these consecutive events were simply a bizarre coincidence.”
The Australian and the OPI have been at loggerheads since Stewart revealed details of terror raids last year. The newspaper has since fought a fierce legal battle to protect Stewart’s source.
Today’s story is the latest development in an escalating feud between The Australian, the OPI and Victoria Police commissioner Simon Overland.
The paper also reports that OPI officers turned up at Stewart’s son’s creche to hand him a letter, telling him: “Remember me?”
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In the article, editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell criticises the OPI for coming to the childcare centre rather than calling on Stewart at work. Mitchell said: “I believe this is a body unlike anything I have dealt with. It makes the NSW ICAC and Queensland CMC look very good indeed.”