Justice for John: ‘I am very happy that it will create a precedent’

April 16, 2026 — 3:37pm

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The voice on the other end of the phone was frail but happy. We both knew the man on the line was dying, but he was ringing with good news.

I had only met John Kelleher a few weeks earlier to tell his story.

For more than 30 years he had been the preeminent forensic scientist in the specialised Victoria Police Fire and Explosives Unit.

He was considered so valuable he went past the age when he wanted to retire because he was so vital in so many crucial........

© The Age