Murdoch flies into the spotlight

By WYNNE GRAY and NZPA

Almost 29 years after he began his self-imposed life of obscurity, ex-All Black Keith Murdoch finally fronts up today - forced to speak about the mystery death of an Aborigine who wronged him.

The Northern Territory Coroner's Court has paid to fly Murdoch in a light plane from his job on a remote station to Tennant Creek, 530km north of Alice Springs. He was thought last night to be in the small town, population 3000, but, as always, was keeping a low profile.

Ten days ago, he told the Herald in an exclusive interview that he would abide by the summons to give evidence at the hearing into the death of Christopher Limerick, whose body was found in a disused goldmine near Tennant Creek last October.

So, at 12.30 pm (NZT), Murdoch should enter the court as star witness and, in about half a day's evidence, shed light on his last encounter with Mr Limerick, when he is alleged to have beaten the 20-year-old for burgling his rundown bungalow.

A court spokeswoman in Darwin said Murdoch was scheduled to fly back this afternoon to the remote cattle station where he is working.

"We don't know how long Mr Murdoch is going to be giving evidence or what he is going to say," she said.



The inquest into Mr Limerick's death started last month but was adjourned after five days when Murdoch did not appear at it.

Police started a public campaign to track down the 55-year-old, a drifter and loner who frequently took off round the Northern Territory in search of casual work.

He was discovered working as a water bore checker on a remote cattle station about 450km south of Darwin.

Murdoch is alleged to have given Mr Limerick a hiding several weeks before his body was discovered at the bottom of Nobles Nob, a disused goldmine on the outskirts of town.

The brother of one witness who said he heard someone getting a belting behind Murdoch's modest bungalow told the original hearing that he asked Murdoch if he had been getting more trouble from Mr Limerick.

"I don't think he'll be coming back," Murdoch allegedly replied.

Mr Limerick was a small-time crook, known to often break into houses to fuel his alcohol habit.

Police say Murdoch is a witness and not a suspect.

And Murdoch told the Herald that he called the police after the burglary and three officers took Mr Limerick away.

Several days afterwards, a local health worker saw someone matching Mr Limerick's description looking disoriented near Nobles Nob.

Some time later, Murdoch left town, vanishing as he did after being sent home in disgrace from the 1972 All Black tour of Britain for attacking a Cardiff security guard.

An acquaintance, maintenance worker and poet Jimmy Hooker, said Murdoch was a "helluva nice bloke. He didn't do it, mate."

An autopsy failed to reveal if Mr Limerick died a violent death but Mr Hooker, like many locals, believes he died after drinking cyanide-contaminated water at the bottom of the mine.