WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains an image of a person who has died, which has been used with the permission of his family.
A series of controversial text messages that may have influenced Constable Zachary Rolfe’s defence to a murder charge were not meant for him, an inquest has been told.
Afterwards, Rolfe received text messages telling him to justify his intent as self-defence against “the s— c— (who) was telling him that he was going to stab the police”.
But Sergeant Ian Nankivell, who wrote the messages, told the inquest into the fatal shooting he “emphatically denied” that the messages were for Rolfe.
Nankivell had sent the messages to a close friend of Rolfe, Constable Mitchell Hansen.
In November, Hansen told the inquest that Nankivell had sent the messages to him to forward to Rolfe.
The messages outlined an acronym “IAMO plus P” standing for intent, ability, means, opportunity and preclusion, that Patrick Coleridge, counsel assisting the coroner, said could be seen as a template for justifying Rolfe’s shooting of Walker.
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Nankivell said the acronym had been part of his police force training in Victoria.
“It’s nothing about justification, it’s about mental health,” he said on Thursday.
When asked about his use of the word “critics” in the text messages, he said it referred to self-criticism, not external critics. “The IAMO plus P is designed just to guide you through the process (of thinking) when your mind is full fog and dread,” he said.
The messages were never intended to be seen by anyone other than Hansen, he said, despite also acknowledging that he was not close to Hansen nor did they have any relationship outside work.
Rolfe was found not guilty by a Supreme Court jury of Walker’s murder.
The inquest in Alice Springs continues, with other members of the NT Police Force, including Assistant Commissioner Bruce Porter, expected to give evidence over the next two weeks.
