1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: He sort of shuffled on his side or dragged himself 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: along the hallway where there was smash glass and cut himself, 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: and then he got to the front door and sliming 4 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: basically in a pool of glass. 5 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 2: The law went through its motions and gave that fellow 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 2: a three month good behavior bond. Meanwhile, your situation because 7 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 2: of him clearly and obviously a mechanical glitch, which is 8 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 2: a simple thing to understand. 9 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 3: Much it's been explained. It's not that tricky. I'm andrew rule. 10 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 2: Recently, we interviewed a fellow called Peter Boland, who is 11 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 2: by way of being a delivery truck driver. He drives 12 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 2: a timber truck and delivers timber around the eastern suburbs. 13 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 2: And we took to Peter Boland because he was desperately 14 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 2: worried that, after forty five years and three million kilometers 15 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 2: of driving without loss of license, that he may well 16 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 2: lose his license because of a mechanical fault affecting the 17 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 2: speedometer of his truck. And he was so worried about 18 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 2: this because if he loses his license, he not only 19 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 2: loses his livelihood, it will mean that he cannot drive 20 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 2: his quadriplegic son to very important life saving appointments at 21 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 2: the Peter McCallum Clinic. His son has a brain injury 22 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 2: and he also has a cyst on his brain, and 23 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 2: his father not only cares for him many many hours 24 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 2: of the day, but he has to take him regularly 25 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 2: in a special van to the Peter McCallum and other 26 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 2: doctors and other hospitals. And Peter Bolandor, because his son 27 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 2: is also called Peter Peter Boland Senor, was very worried 28 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 2: about this. We interviewed him recently. He told us the 29 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 2: whole sad story, which is a bit of a tear 30 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 2: jerker on a heartbreaker. But since we spoke to Peter 31 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: boland originally there's been an update and we're going to 32 00:01:58,480 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 2: find out about that. 33 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 3: At the end of his interview. 34 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 2: I didn't know Peter until a few days ago when 35 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 2: he wrote me a heartfelt letter which outlined a little 36 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 2: bit of his life story and particularly the story of 37 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 2: his son, PJ, who Peter Senior thinks. 38 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 3: Of as a little baby boy. 39 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 2: But of course he's been looking after PJ, who is 40 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 2: Peter Junor, since he was a baby, and PJ is 41 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 2: now thirty eight years old or thereabouts, And the story 42 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 2: is that PJ had a catastrophic aneurysm, a brain injury, 43 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 2: a brain bleed, he's one way to put it. When 44 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 2: he was just a little boy. It was the night 45 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 2: of his first day at school. It had one day 46 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 2: of prep. His father brought him home and the little 47 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 2: boy had this terrible brain aneurism. And Peter, Senior, father 48 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 2: of Peter, what happened next? 49 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,239 Speaker 1: We were asleep that night. It actually happened in the 50 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: middle of the night Andrew and he had a bit 51 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: of a sore throat leading up to that, and you'd 52 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: hear him coughing and clearing his throat, and then probably 53 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: about three o'clock in the morning, just heard being a 54 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,559 Speaker 1: parent he might get a just a different. 55 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 3: Type of cough. 56 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: So I got up and I couldn't make any sense 57 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 1: with him. I couldn't wake him up, so I was 58 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: in the bottom bunk. So I carried him in our 59 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: room and I put him on the bed and I 60 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: said to Jean, will have to take him to Danny Hospital. 61 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: And I put him on the bed and it was 62 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: just like a click beetle. He just launched himself like 63 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: with obviously a seizure and he like a click beetle. 64 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: He went about three or four feet up in the 65 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: air and landed on the floor, flat on the floor. Anyway, 66 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: we took him in our car to Danny Nong and 67 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: he lost all control of everything. Ye And we were 68 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: pretty lucky really because we went there and they didn't 69 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: know what was happening with him, because he was convulsing 70 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: and he was red hot yep. And he was I 71 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: think an intern there, and he sort of stopped beside 72 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 1: his bed and he looked into his eyes and he said, 73 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: there's pressure, massive pressure behind his eyes. He's having a 74 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: brain hemorrhage. And they quickly took him into the do 75 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,159 Speaker 1: a cat scan and it was like forty percent you 76 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: could see the brain and the rest was just full 77 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:33,679 Speaker 1: of was just black. 78 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 3: Yep. 79 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: The nurse seat straight away. He's too sick to stay here, yep. 80 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: And they flew him to the children's in a chopper, 81 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: which and they had to keep low because they were 82 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: worried about it. It clotted yep, and I worried about it. 83 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: And we got there and we were worried, firstly because 84 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: they sort of rushed us through the part where we 85 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: thought he'd be in like admittance or something like that, 86 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: but he was straight into ice are you? And then 87 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,559 Speaker 1: the doctor came and said, we're going to operate right now, 88 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: and that's probably about about an eight or nine percent 89 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: chance of him surviving because it's a big the bleed. 90 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 1: It's trying to push the brain back down the stem 91 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: of his spine. And so that happened that day and 92 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: doctor Rose and Jeff Rosenfeld, who he's probably retired now, 93 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: but he happened to be doing a seminar that day 94 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: in the children's and they must have pulled his coat 95 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,919 Speaker 1: and said, look, we've got a bit of an unusual 96 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 1: one here, being five year old and an aneurism. Can 97 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: you have a look at it. And he ended up 98 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: operating on him, and he said to us that that 99 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: night he said, well, he's still very much maybe a 100 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: ten percent chance of surviving it. And he survived the 101 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 1: initial first couple of days. We just kept coming. Jean 102 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: stayed in there and I looked after the other kids 103 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: and came in for about three hundred days straight. 104 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 3: Actually this was the start of the rest of your life. 105 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly right. And I suppose we would wake up 106 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: we were in Ronald McDonald house for about three weeks, 107 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 1: and we expected him to having known nothing about aneurysms 108 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: or the like, we suppose we tried to we go 109 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 1: down in the middle of the night and expect him 110 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: to sort of be a wake up and you know, but. 111 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 3: He was comatose. He was going in a coma. 112 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 1: He was in mac Kama for officially eight months, but 113 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: even two or three months after that, he was just 114 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:40,160 Speaker 1: he was staring into space. 115 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 2: And at any time, probably he could have passed away 116 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 2: any time, but he didn't. 117 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: He didn't know. 118 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 2: And in the end, after almost a year, you and 119 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 2: your wife took him home to where you live at 120 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 2: Hampton Park, which is the same house you're still in. 121 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 3: Yeah. 122 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 1: I've been in there forty one years. Right, you had 123 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: two other children, yeah, older baby. 124 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 3: Yeah. 125 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 2: And a long story, sure, because you know that is 126 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 2: what thirty two or three years ago. 127 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: The ninety three, thirty two years. 128 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 2: It's a long time. It's a starf a lifetime in itself. 129 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 2: But without going into all the details, your family has 130 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 2: been dogged by various tragedies, not the least of those 131 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 2: is that your wife, Jean became extremely ill and was 132 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 2: no longer able to care at all for herself, let 133 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 2: alone him. And so you've ended up over thirty odd 134 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 2: years being basically the sole care provider for a very 135 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 2: severely disabled boy. Now, Peter, you are called Peter Boland. 136 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,239 Speaker 2: Your son is called Peter Boland. He's called PJJ, Peter James, 137 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 2: Peter James. Your father was Peter Boland, my grandfather. 138 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: My uncle, and it goes back from eighteen forty one. 139 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: There's been a Peter Bowland in every generation. 140 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 3: And who was the most famous one, I suppose. 141 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: It would be it would be my great great great grandfather. 142 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 1: He was Peter Boland and he was a lightweight and 143 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: middleweight champion boxer of Australia. 144 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, he lived in Melbourne and he lived to a 145 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 3: fairly young age. 146 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: The consumption got him. He had thirty three flights for 147 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: thirty wins lightweight and middleweight champion and he fowarded the 148 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: Onngtown Hall before the roof was put on it. It 149 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: was finished and he won that title. And yeah, he 150 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: was died at twenty three and he's in Brighton Cemetery. 151 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: But before he died he had obviously more fights. He 152 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:42,439 Speaker 1: was married and had children. 153 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 2: He married and had one child, one child, and so 154 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 2: you're all descended from the lightweight boxing champion. 155 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 3: Of Australia, Peter Boland. 156 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,439 Speaker 2: That tradition of fighting, of fighting in the sense of 157 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 2: fighting the odds, has stuck with you. You're not literally 158 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 2: getting into a boxing ring, but you've had to fight 159 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 2: to survive, to look after your boy in a way 160 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:10,839 Speaker 2: that is it's that extraordinary heroism of the life of 161 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 2: quite desperation that some people lead when they. 162 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 3: Have to deal with these extraordinary things. 163 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 2: Your life has been touched by tragedy a couple of times, 164 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 2: and without wanting to make a welter of it, I 165 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 2: believe that you lost a niece in tragic circumstances. It 166 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 2: just gets that in for me. 167 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: In ninety seven we lost my parents and Jean's parents. 168 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: A few weeks after that, my niece was a vicdom 169 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: of a domestic violence, was murdered and she was pregnant 170 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: twenty two years old, and she's up in office cemetery 171 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: obviously with my grandparents, but Andrew. She was murdered on 172 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: the same day as we lost Alphonse Gangitano and I 173 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 1: met I was in the alp ron Eddalls and George Buckhorn, 174 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,959 Speaker 1: the detectives. They came, I briefly meant them and then 175 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,319 Speaker 1: they was swung over to Alvens Gangatano. 176 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 2: He's the investigation went for the big fish. 177 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: Obviously fish and and he since passed away. That the 178 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: boyfriend died at sort of twenty years later, a few 179 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 1: years ago. But do you do much time he did? 180 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 1: He did two years and three months. 181 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 3: Two years and three months, plea he. 182 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: Plea bargained from murdered and a manslaughter and two years 183 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: and three months and harassed my sister before and after 184 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 1: going into jail when he the mother of the dead girl, 185 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: exactly right, my sister who's never been the same since, 186 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: never And it was a very sad time, you know. 187 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: And PJ is still he still says to me, Dad, 188 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: I miss Debbie, I miss Nanna and Nannon pop and 189 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: stuff like that, we see you on the weekend. And 190 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,680 Speaker 1: you know, he misses all his friends that have sort 191 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: of passed. 192 00:10:55,240 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 2: And he's because he PJ has gone to a special school. Yes, 193 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 2: and obviously a lot of his contemporaries at that school 194 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 2: have been very gravely ill. Yes, and many of them. 195 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 1: Have done many of them, probably probably seventy five percent 196 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 1: of died. 197 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 2: And so that his life, such as it is, is 198 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 2: punctuated with tragedies and tragedies and there's no way to 199 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 2: avoid that. 200 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: He's really worried about me, because I'm pretty well stressed 201 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: and he's really worried about me. Is coming, and you know, 202 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: I'm going to try and set him up so he 203 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: can stay in that house he was born there. Yes, 204 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 1: and he's got a lot of friends around, but he's 205 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: still need a lot of care, a lot of medication. 206 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 3: And how many tablets a day does he take? 207 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 1: He takes thirty four tablets a day. Now, this is 208 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: a thirty eight year old man. 209 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 3: Where does he. 210 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:51,559 Speaker 1: Weigh He weighs twenty six k. 211 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,680 Speaker 3: That's half the size of an apprentice jockey. 212 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, And I ever since he came home in 213 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: the morning carrying to the toilet and then dress him 214 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: in that. It's seven days a week. And I wouldn't 215 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 1: let anybody else do it. It's just my baby, and 216 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: I don't mind doing that, and he wouldn't let anybody 217 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: else do it. 218 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,679 Speaker 2: And the drugs that you have to give him to 219 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 2: keep him alive more than a dozen tablets that dot. 220 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 2: The side effect is that they are an appetite, soup present. 221 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 2: The drugs that keep him alive are also starving. 222 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: Him, starving him, and he sometimes he won't eat and 223 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: he needs to be gabbage fed or tube fed. He 224 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: hates it. So I just say, look, you're going to 225 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 1: have to eat because you won't keep your tappies down, 226 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: and we sort of go along. Once a fortnight he'll 227 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:44,960 Speaker 1: help get sick and I just tell him you've got 228 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: to have more in your tummy because they just they'll 229 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:51,560 Speaker 1: throw up. And when he throws up, it's not good. 230 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 2: But this is an insight into the ins and outs 231 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 2: of the life you lead with PJ. And wider interest 232 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 2: here is that we'd like to see a situation where 233 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 2: the law tries to help a good, law abiding citizen 234 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 2: instead of coming down with the full force of the law. 235 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 2: You know, the old thing about not breaking the butterfly 236 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 2: on the wheel. Sometimes the law needs to use discretion. 237 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 2: And that's why we're doing this interview today. Now, Peter, 238 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 2: just tell her, listen, what you do for a living. 239 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,960 Speaker 1: I'm a truck driver, yep, and you deliver timber, deliver 240 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 1: timber for a denion on company. 241 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:35,439 Speaker 2: You are sort of one of those guys caught in 242 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 2: the middle of a situation where you are a self 243 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:41,439 Speaker 2: employed truck driver as a contractor subcontractor, but you've worked 244 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 2: for the same company who are very good to you 245 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 2: in your life. 246 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:48,199 Speaker 1: Very very good for the last thirty years, thirty plus 247 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 1: eighty years. 248 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 2: And they understand your situation here and what family owns 249 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 2: that business. It's my y are out of Dandy. 250 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,959 Speaker 1: Out of Dandy, and they started off with one pack timber, right, 251 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,319 Speaker 1: and they're hugely thirty one trucks. 252 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 2: And they have sort of looked after you in the 253 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 2: sense that they they notice send you on short jobs 254 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 2: neither too far from home. That's right, because they know 255 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 2: that anytime you might have to get home to your 256 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 2: house to save PJ from you know, to help him, Yes, 257 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 2: and so they don't want to send you to the 258 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 2: western suburbs and the northern suburbs and you do the 259 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 2: short jobs. 260 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 1: David the boss theory. He said that Peter starts when 261 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: he gets in. There's no set time for me to start. 262 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: So I do set up PJ for the day and 263 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: address him and enem are in the morning, et cetera. Yes, 264 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: because otherwise he just I've got to keep him in 265 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: a britey and otherwise I can't cope. 266 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 3: I'm with you, and you're really around the clock, almost 267 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 3: around the clock around full time care and nurse. 268 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 2: But you take off seven hours of the day, let's say, 269 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 2: to go and drive a truck. Then you come back 270 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 2: to being a nurse again. 271 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 1: That's right. I only leave him when he's got a 272 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: care and it's andry that what is a little bit, 273 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 1: I suppose strange to say it. The times I work 274 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: is a bit of respite for me. And that's why 275 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 1: I've sort of been able to keep going. 276 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 2: Yes, for so long I see it. To me, it's 277 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 2: all relative, isn't it. Yeah, it works almost a relief 278 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 2: in made with the responsibility of what you have to do. Now, 279 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 2: this is a very onerous thing. You're a man in 280 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 2: late middle age, as we all are, and it's not 281 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 2: getting easier. But you've been from what I've seen of 282 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 2: your driving record and everything, you've had a spotless driving 283 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 2: record until a certain event which we'll talk about, and 284 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 2: that is over how many years of you had a 285 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 2: driver's license forty eight, forty eight and no you've never 286 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 2: lost it, No, never lost it. 287 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 3: Last nine months. So he beat me and in. 288 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 2: Forty five of those or forty six years. You've had 289 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 2: a heavy indoors license. 290 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: That's right, and I've done see me and rigid and 291 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 1: the whole text bloke set about three million kilometers. 292 00:15:56,640 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 2: About three million kilometers without loss of license out loss 293 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 2: about eighteen months ago. Tell me if I'm wrong, something 294 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 2: happened with your truck. Now you own this truck. It's 295 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 2: a nine ton trade truck, which is quite for those 296 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 2: who don't understand, it's quite a decent sized truck. Nine 297 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 2: tone because you know there's three ton trucks and five 298 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 2: done trucks and a nine ton. 299 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 3: Truck you could put a bulldoge on them. 300 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 2: And it has a big heavy wheels on them, big 301 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 2: heavy tires and all that because you carry big weights. 302 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 2: And when you bought that truck, which shows you how 303 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 2: well you look after it. 304 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: Tell us about okay, I bought it in two thousand 305 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: and nine and this chap was selling three trucks to 306 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 1: goe Able to live in America. I brought one of them, 307 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: and when I went to pick it up, it had 308 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: all this junk. I suppose on the back of it. 309 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,720 Speaker 1: There was a gearbox on a pallette. And I said 310 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 1: to the guy how much did he want for that? 311 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: And I ended up buying the gearbox with the truck. 312 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 3: And you thought, you thought, that's obviously a gearbox for 313 00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 3: the truck, so that's why I buy. 314 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: It's a spear had three of them, you know, and 315 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: they're all the same. So anyway, I kept that in 316 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: my garage and a day Yeah, because you wear a gearboxes. Yeah, 317 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: that's right. And the truck had done right on a 318 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: million kilometers. 319 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:14,440 Speaker 3: Yep. 320 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 1: It's still in really good condition. But I started to 321 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: notice a bit of a smell coming from it, like 322 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,240 Speaker 1: hot oil. Yes, and there was got under and I 323 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: felt the gearbox and it was at the back of 324 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 1: it very hot. So I popped in to see a. 325 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 3: Mechanic and he's your usual bloke. 326 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:34,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, usual bloke. And he he said, look, I think 327 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: the back bearing, which is the main load bearing. I 328 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: suppose that's just about a throw a leg out a bit, 329 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: you said, Anyway, he said, it's just it's getting very hot. Yep, 330 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: and you're going to be stuck somewhere in the middle 331 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:48,119 Speaker 1: of the traffic and they're not good. I drove another 332 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:50,440 Speaker 1: two days and it was just getting worse and whining 333 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,360 Speaker 1: and it was a Friday, and I said, look, can 334 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: you work. Can you put the gearbox in over the weekend. 335 00:17:58,280 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 3: I've got the spear one at home. 336 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 1: I've got the spear at home. I'll bring it in. 337 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 1: And he said, look, I don't think so, but I'll 338 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: ask a couple of the mechanics. And he got back 339 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 1: to them and he said, they'll do it. Yeah, you know, 340 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: probably three quarters of a day. 341 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 3: Yep. 342 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:15,199 Speaker 1: Very good of them, really, yeah, really, because you know 343 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 1: they know it. 344 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 2: So you produced the truck, you produced the gearbox. Yeah, 345 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 2: you take it in these very good blogs. Yet pulled 346 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 2: down your transmission. 347 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:22,360 Speaker 1: Yep. 348 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:24,920 Speaker 2: They fit the gearbox, which is, as you say, nearly 349 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 2: a day's work, and by Monday you've got a truck 350 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:29,119 Speaker 2: going again. 351 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: By Monday I was there seven thirty. I picked it up. 352 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:34,360 Speaker 3: And why you went and where I went? What happened? 353 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 1: Well the next I suppose ten and a half months, 354 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: I lost my twelve points and you couldn't work out 355 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 1: what couldn't work out why? And things were happening with 356 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: PJ at it wasn't well and stuff like that. It 357 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: wasn't the only thing that I had on You had 358 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,400 Speaker 1: other things on you. And so the very last one. 359 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 1: I was pulled over doing sixty four in a fifty. 360 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, so, which seems like a big mark. 361 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 1: This does seem like a big margin because. 362 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 3: You when you looked at the needle, you weren't saying six. 363 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:10,119 Speaker 1: You're on fifty fifty okay. So and I was I 364 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:14,159 Speaker 1: didn't see the signs and what I was. So I 365 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:16,399 Speaker 1: got the ticket, and then I drove around the block 366 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: and the first sign was was there was a seeming 367 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:23,879 Speaker 1: and parked in front of it, quite legally parked. And 368 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: then the second one was the sign was ripped out 369 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: on the ground. 370 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:29,400 Speaker 2: All of which give you a sort of a technical 371 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,120 Speaker 2: legal defense. Your basic problem was a mechanical one. 372 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 1: It was it was okay, I said I want to 373 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,119 Speaker 1: fight it, to withdraw the phone and will fight it. 374 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,359 Speaker 2: And meantime you've been back to a mechanic and said listen, 375 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 2: this is something's wrong here. And he did a quick, 376 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:46,160 Speaker 2: a quick and dirty check. 377 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: I paused up there, and he had he was just 378 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 1: about in his car to go, and he wasn't impressed, 379 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 1: and he said, look, I'll have a quick look at all, 380 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:57,719 Speaker 1: run it up the road and back. And he said, well, 381 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: I've got the only thing I've got that can tell 382 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:02,919 Speaker 1: it's pretty pretty rough and ready what they do for 383 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: worthies and stuff like that. He said, it's at least 384 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: ten k's out. 385 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 2: It's slow, it's reading treading slow, sitting on sixty. It's 386 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:12,760 Speaker 2: actually in seventy. 387 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 3: Yeah. 388 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 1: Right. I spoke to a lawyer yep, and I said, look, 389 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 1: you know, what are the chances with that? And he said, 390 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: we'll go there and we'll have a word with the 391 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: prosecution before we go in. And there is a chance 392 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 1: they withdraw it. They we've got the photos of science 393 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: and there is a chance that they might withdraw it anyway. 394 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 1: So we go there and the first prosecutor had to 395 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: withdraw herself from the case because she her husband is 396 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:48,400 Speaker 1: very sick with the mess, and she knows from being 397 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 1: a local and fair enough, she knows my son, and 398 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: so she fair enough with the conflict of indist really yeah, 399 00:20:57,960 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: but still, you know, I mean, I wouldn't like hurt 400 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:04,640 Speaker 1: compromise itself. And I spoke to another later that day. 401 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 1: I waited about an hour for another prosecutor to gain 402 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 1: and he wouldn't. He wouldn't even open the I suppose 403 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:13,959 Speaker 1: the folder. I had to explain things. I thought at 404 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:16,120 Speaker 1: least they'd have a look at it, you know, And 405 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 1: I've never appealed to fine or anything. 406 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 3: Before that which were doing this make the case. 407 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:25,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, And so anyway it ended up going for I 408 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 1: had to adjourn because had had a seizure and he 409 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: was in the Alfred And at. 410 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 2: This stage this brain sister is starting to really exert itself, 411 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 2: exert itself. You've had emergency calls on your time to 412 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 2: take him into hospital is to be treated and looked at. 413 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 1: Ye, and they've got to sedate him. And I've just 414 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: stayed there Ober night and. 415 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,199 Speaker 2: Okay, and you do this in a vent. I'm just 416 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 2: pointing out to the listeners. I just had to look 417 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,639 Speaker 2: at your vent. You've got an actual van set up 418 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 2: so you can load a wheelchair and especially for him 419 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:00,440 Speaker 2: for him, and you need to use that to take 420 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 2: him to hospital regularly to keep him alive. 421 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:06,400 Speaker 1: We actually brought that. It was an next Tac van 422 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 1: and we're lucky to get it at a good price, 423 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:11,120 Speaker 1: but we were cleaned out by that. 424 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:16,120 Speaker 2: I think, just in the interests of explanation, Peter has 425 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,400 Speaker 2: saved up a modest amount of money against the day 426 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 2: when it'll be needed to pay for his own funeral 427 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:25,440 Speaker 2: and his son's funeral. And I think you told me 428 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 2: off air, you told me away from here that you 429 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 2: spent half of that money you'd saved up fighting this 430 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:40,199 Speaker 2: risdiculous speeding business which was actually clearly a mechanical fault. 431 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,160 Speaker 2: And the reason you had to spend that much money, 432 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:45,719 Speaker 2: and let's say it's four or five thousand dollars, yes, 433 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 2: it is that you were obliged to go to an 434 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 2: accredited engineer and expert witness and pay them they're very 435 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 2: high fee in order that they swear up and say 436 00:22:57,720 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 2: I did this test and this test and this test, 437 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 2: and what they came up with, essentially was to prove 438 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 2: that the gearbox that was put into your truck, the 439 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,640 Speaker 2: one that you had in your garage for fifteen years 440 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,199 Speaker 2: or twenty years or whatever it was, it actually it 441 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 2: was the right gearbox, that it fitted fine, but it 442 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,120 Speaker 2: had a slightly different ratio from the original one. 443 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 1: It came out of toe a flat top tow truck 444 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 1: with seventeen and a half inch wheel I. 445 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 2: Had, Yes, it came out of a tow truck with 446 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 2: small wheels, whereas your truck has big wheels and a 447 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 2: difference being that when one revolution of the tail shaft 448 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 2: or the difference, it doesn't matter. It moves a big 449 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 2: wheel through a greater distance. Therefore it makes. 450 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 3: It go faster. So it was eighteen. 451 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,199 Speaker 2: So if you were sitting on what you think is 452 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:47,679 Speaker 2: one hundred kilometers by the speed, it's actually doing one 453 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:48,479 Speaker 2: hundred and eighteen. 454 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 3: Yep, that's right. 455 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:53,639 Speaker 2: And obviously the same fifty would be you know, fifty 456 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 2: nine someone eight. 457 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:57,640 Speaker 1: The people that did the test, they said that if 458 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,640 Speaker 1: my speed I would shown fifty been sixty three yep, 459 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:03,200 Speaker 1: and I was done for sixty four. 460 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 3: I'll get you, yeah, totally. 461 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 2: So you've got the expert advice and witness, and it's 462 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 2: cost money that you don't really have. It's cost your 463 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 2: funeral money to do this, and you've had to go 464 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:18,919 Speaker 2: back to court and find out. Now where are you 465 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:20,160 Speaker 2: in the court process with this? 466 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:23,399 Speaker 1: What happened was the first prosecutor knocked us back on 467 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 1: the photos, yes, and. 468 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 3: On the photos of the of the speeds, of. 469 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: The speed signs which are on the ground. And then 470 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 1: we were talking out in the foyer with a prosecutor. 471 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:38,679 Speaker 1: He said, you've got to prove in black and white 472 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 1: that that was a situation with your gearbox, which I 473 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 1: went and did. 474 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 2: As we just explained, you've had to go and yep, 475 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 2: end all this money to prove it in black and white, 476 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 2: and you did. And where are you at now? 477 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: Well, a different prosecutor. Every time we've gone, it's been 478 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 1: a different police prosecutor, so there's no continuity with the 479 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 1: case or notes taken. And he's knocked her back. 480 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,120 Speaker 3: They have to reinvent the alleged time he's. 481 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:06,639 Speaker 1: Knocked her back And basically he wants to take me 482 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: to the Supreme Court. 483 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 3: He wants to take you to the Supreme Well. 484 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 1: The next office is from the Magistrates court is to 485 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court. And it's just flattened me, it would. 486 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:20,600 Speaker 2: Now do you think you can't look into the minds 487 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 2: of others? But I'm going to ask you to take 488 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:26,119 Speaker 2: a weld. Guess do you think you get treated not 489 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,159 Speaker 2: that well by the likes of police prosecutors because they 490 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 2: see you as some know, a rough little trucky from 491 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,439 Speaker 2: Hampden Parker's. You know, we're going to be telling us 492 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 2: porkies or whatever. Do you feel that there's a bit 493 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:40,719 Speaker 2: of that in this Andrew? 494 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 1: My opinion is that they probably get a bit desensitized 495 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:49,440 Speaker 1: to stuff. And of course and there wouldn't be that many. 496 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:53,200 Speaker 1: That's sixty six year olds driving forty eight years, never 497 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: lost lots. I don't think this would be very common, 498 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:00,399 Speaker 1: even in Melbourne seven million. People don't think would be 499 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: very common at all, especially not as a professional driver 500 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: all the time. They'll be retired postman. You haven't lost 501 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:11,639 Speaker 1: their license yet, they're not driving them and you know 502 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 1: I've asked. I've sent the letter that I sent to 503 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: you to the magistrates' court as well, and I don't 504 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 1: think they're even a latter look at it. It's got 505 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:22,959 Speaker 1: to be that they're not even a latter to look 506 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,919 Speaker 1: at it until the day. And I'm worried if I 507 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:31,640 Speaker 1: get another prosecutor, and even more I suppose aggressive prosecutor, 508 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,879 Speaker 1: that I can't go any further with it. I'm pretty 509 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: well broke now. PJ needs several times a month to 510 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:44,159 Speaker 1: go to Peter McCallum twice a month, and two or 511 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 1: three times a month to the Alpha. And if you 512 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:47,720 Speaker 1: lose your license, I lose my license. 513 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:49,880 Speaker 3: He's cooked, well, he's cooked, and. 514 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: He gets very you know, the police might say, well 515 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:58,680 Speaker 1: to get a taxi, but he gets very, very despondent 516 00:26:58,840 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 1: if I don't go with it. 517 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:02,240 Speaker 2: Now, there's a lot of reasons for that money. Is 518 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:04,919 Speaker 2: that you're the most constant adult presence in his life. 519 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:08,280 Speaker 2: You're his lifeline, not only his father, You're more than that. 520 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,920 Speaker 2: There's something else. Years ago, when PJ was twenty three, 521 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:17,719 Speaker 2: he was home, as he usually is, in bed in 522 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:20,960 Speaker 2: the morning, mid morning, he's in bed because. 523 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 3: He's basically a quadrupleged. Yeah, and what happened that day. 524 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:28,680 Speaker 1: Two guys broke in. They smashed the front door and 525 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: got in. 526 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:31,120 Speaker 3: This would terrify PJ. 527 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: Terrified PJ. He had a little safe in his room, 528 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,880 Speaker 1: a little fifty dollars safe, and he had a lot 529 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: of bits and pieces from his friends that at his school, 530 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: some of the most of which have passed away. And 531 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:48,399 Speaker 1: they ripped his was on ipose, some valcro, but they 532 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 1: ripped that out. They took that, and he tried to 533 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,400 Speaker 1: get over to his wheelchair and they tipped his wheelchair over. 534 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: They tipped it over. Yeah, they were a good bloke. Yeah, 535 00:27:57,359 --> 00:27:59,680 Speaker 1: And he sort of shuffled on his side or dragged 536 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 1: himself along the hallway where there was smash glass and 537 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:05,680 Speaker 1: he cut himself, and then he got to the front 538 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,120 Speaker 1: door and was lying basically in a pool of glass, 539 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:13,920 Speaker 1: and then he again he crawled back to his room 540 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:18,480 Speaker 1: where he had his phone, and he rang me. And 541 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:21,480 Speaker 1: he can't read because he's got both front labes taken 542 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 1: for epilepsy, but we've trained him to use his phone. 543 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:29,200 Speaker 1: And he called me and I come home and I 544 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 1: just good believe, But you. 545 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 3: Know what happened next? Now tell me what the Lord 546 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 3: did about that? 547 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: Well, I can say on the day because he was home, 548 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: it was classified as a home invasion. So they came 549 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:47,040 Speaker 1: and they got DNA. Yes, And a couple of months 550 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:50,080 Speaker 1: later I got a phone call from a police officer 551 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,240 Speaker 1: and said, do you know this bloke and mentioned his name. 552 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:57,320 Speaker 1: I can't remember, but I said no. And he said 553 00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: it was any reason that his DNA should be in 554 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 1: your hand? I said no. So he ended up being 555 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: arrested and charged with it. He didn't give up his accomplishment. 556 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 1: I'm grateful one thing Andrew that they didn't hurt pj 557 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:14,360 Speaker 1: Of because they didn't assault him as such. 558 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 3: But he still would be extremely low. 559 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:22,720 Speaker 1: But he still now wakes up middle of the night terrified. 560 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 3: That event from that year. 561 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,560 Speaker 2: He's now thirty eight, thirty eight, and he was then 562 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 2: twenty three. Yep, that's fifteen years. He's still terrified by 563 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 2: that event. 564 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 1: They only got the one I got one, and he 565 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 1: got three months good behavior. 566 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 2: Bond, three months good behavior bon. So he didn't do it. 567 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:40,240 Speaker 1: No, no, not at all. 568 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 3: And so the prosecutor wasn't that tough on him. 569 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 1: No, no, And they actually got aggressive. They actually rang 570 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: me to sort of say, do you how fard do 571 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,479 Speaker 1: you want to push it? And I said, look, I'll 572 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,240 Speaker 1: go to work. I don't want any replications on the PJ, 573 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 1: so just do what you've got to do. I don't 574 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 1: want to any push anything. So I was order, yeah, 575 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: i'll get it. Well, you're vulnerable, PJ. I worry about him. 576 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 2: Of course, more than you're worry about Yeah, that's only 577 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 2: that's only fair. So they eventually cut that guy, which 578 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 2: is good. The law went through its motions and gave 579 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 2: that fellow a three month good behavior bond. Meanwhile, your 580 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 2: situation because of clearly obviously a mechanical glitch, which is 581 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 2: a simple thing to understand once it's been explained. It's 582 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 2: not that tricky. You know, the differentials out, Therefore it's wrong. 583 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:36,200 Speaker 1: You know, since it's been properly rectified, Andrew, it's been 584 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:38,120 Speaker 1: over two years. I haven't lost any points. 585 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 3: Of course. 586 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 2: So you're now stuck though, with the backwash of that 587 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 2: mechanical aberration in your history, which has caused this great 588 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 2: headache and problem for you, and and financial cost that 589 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 2: you can't afford. 590 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:53,360 Speaker 1: Twenty fourth of June, I go to a contested hearing. 591 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 1: We're at Long Mega Stretch Court and I'm really worried, Andrew, 592 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: because Pja knows it's coming up, and he is very frail, 593 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 1: and he's stressed because he sees I try and put 594 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 1: on a brave face, but I'm worried. 595 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 3: Yep. 596 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 1: I've been driving, you know since I was eighteen. It 597 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: was a danding on police station was a house, yes, 598 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: and I've got my license there in seventy seven. And 599 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: I think the police members were really good on the day. 600 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 1: They said, write a letter, we look at your record. 601 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 1: You've actually been driving semi trailers longer than both of 602 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 1: us have been alive. See. Yes, constables are in their forties. Yeah, 603 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:34,000 Speaker 1: and they were pretty good on the day. 604 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 2: I mean, it seems to me highly likely the magistrate 605 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 2: will take one look at your letter, read it all, 606 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 2: and fix it. But none of that brings back the 607 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 2: money you've had to spend. Get that that's right out 608 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 2: there in the world, in the suburbs and in the 609 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 2: country towns, there are many people not not thousands, but 610 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 2: hundreds of people with. 611 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,560 Speaker 3: Stories like yours that you know they don't get. 612 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 2: No one really knows much except their own relatives and 613 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 2: friends and neighbors, as I said earlier, living lives of 614 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 2: quiet and stoic desperation, doing the best they can. And 615 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 2: that seems to me, Peter Boland, that like your namesake, 616 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 2: Peter Boland, the boxer, you've you've just had to keep punching. 617 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 1: I have to. And what worries me, Andrew, is I'm 618 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:27,640 Speaker 1: just sixty six a couple of weeks ago, and I've 619 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 1: just outlived both my parents. Yes, and as far as 620 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 1: longivity goes, I know that I'll probably leave a bit 621 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:37,320 Speaker 1: healthier life style than they did. 622 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,360 Speaker 3: Yes, But your pedigree is not great. 623 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 1: Pedigree is not great at all. And I'm worried that 624 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 1: my wife would help, but she's just unable to help cope. 625 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 3: And we understand that she's in there. 626 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, she's in care in care and I still love 627 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 1: her and yeah, you know we met forty years ago 628 00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 1: and she'll bring me every second day, okay to see her. 629 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 2: Well, it's a love story on several planes. You love 630 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 2: your son and you love your wife for forty years, 631 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 2: but none of that's going to play the grocery bill. 632 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:13,040 Speaker 1: He's my baby, Andrew, what can I say. I've got 633 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 1: to look after him, mate, he's your baby. He's my baby, 634 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,680 Speaker 1: and he's going to be my baby when he's fifty 635 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:20,600 Speaker 1: he will. 636 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:24,560 Speaker 2: We So on that note, we will wind up the 637 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:29,160 Speaker 2: story of Peter Boland and his son PJ and. 638 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 3: A Dodgy gearbox. 639 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 1: Yep, thanks, thanks Peter, thank you, thanks thanks. 640 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:38,920 Speaker 2: Well, now we've listened to Peter Boland's sad and touching story, 641 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:43,120 Speaker 2: we have to reveal that we ran the essence of 642 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 2: that story in The Herald's Son. So many people were 643 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 2: so concerned about what it was happening to him that 644 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:51,880 Speaker 2: they got in touch with us. And one of the 645 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:54,400 Speaker 2: people that got in touch, she said she was reduced 646 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 2: to tears by the story, was herself a police prosecutor. 647 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 3: So there you go. 648 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:03,920 Speaker 2: A lot of people have responded to Peter Boland's plight 649 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:06,960 Speaker 2: and the plight of his son PJ. And not only 650 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 2: have they offered donations in order to cover the four 651 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:14,279 Speaker 2: thousand dollar expense that he incurred to get an engineer's 652 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:17,920 Speaker 2: report that really he didn't need if there'd been a 653 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:21,319 Speaker 2: touch of common sense applied to this case. But the 654 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,880 Speaker 2: police prosecutors have said that they will stop pursuing this 655 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 2: case and it won't go to court, and he won't 656 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 2: lose his license, and his life will go on the 657 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:34,720 Speaker 2: same way it has for the last thirty three years, 658 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:41,560 Speaker 2: looking after his gravely brain injured boy. 659 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 3: Thanks for listening. 660 00:34:43,680 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 2: Life and Crimes is a Sunday Herald Sun production for 661 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 2: True Crime Australia. Our producer is Johnty Burton. For my columns, 662 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:56,520 Speaker 2: features and more, go to harold'sn dot com dot Au 663 00:34:57,120 --> 00:35:02,319 Speaker 2: forward slash Andrew rule one word. For advertising inquiries, go 664 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:05,840 Speaker 2: to news Podcasts sold at. 665 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:07,080 Speaker 3: News dot com dot Au. 666 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:12,920 Speaker 2: That is all one word news podcasts sold And if 667 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:17,399 Speaker 2: you want further information about this episode, links are in 668 00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:18,320 Speaker 2: the description.