Gregory James OLIVE

Constable 1/c Gregory Olive was at the Kelvin Grove Police Station on 19 February 1962. About 9.50am he left the station to make a routine investigation into wilful damage to a property. The suspect was Piotr Michalewicz, a 47-year-old unemployed labourer. Michalewicz resided only 50m from the Kelvin Grove police station. Over the period that he had lived at this address, tension had developed between Michalewicz and his neighbour Mr Fletcher.

On 17 February Michalewicz shouted abuse at his neighbour. The following day Fletcher found his bedding and several frocks in his laundry slashed, his toilet flooded and the cistern arm twisted. A frock on the clothes line was also slashed. On the morning of the 19th Fletcher heard a noise in his kitchen and found Michalewicz standing by the refrigerator, Michalewicz left immediately and Fletcher later said that he found a quantity of horse meat for his cat, was missing. Fletcher made a complaint to Constable Olive at the Kelvin Grove police station. Olive accompanied Fletcher home to inspect the damaged property.

That same day Constable Olive called at Michalewicz’s house to speak to him about the matter. He knocked two or three times on the front door. The door was flung open and he was shot in the chest at close range by a .303 rifle. Olive staggered back from the door and collapsed. The door was then immediately slammed shut and locked. Olive died a few minutes later. Michalewicz was later shot and wounded by Sergeant Walker when attempts to get him to relinquish the rifle failed. In court Michalewicz pleaded guilty, the jury agreed and he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the wilful murder of Constable 1/c Gregory Olive.