Brian Bourke interview 10 October 2005

You knew a lot of criminals as you've mentioned, you knew the Morans, you knew the Caines, you've known quite a number over the years (like) Graham Kinniburgh who was murdered not long ago in the gangland war. Is there ever a danger, perhaps not for you but for others in your profession of getting a little too close?

Yes, there is.

To such people?

Jack Cullity told me once, "Never get too close to them". Kinniburgh and I used to have lunch now and again and I got to know him pretty well and a few other blokes that I've known, they're just names now. Blokes like Mousey Baker. I mean you'd have to know Mousey Baker. I did a trial for this bloke once he was charged with some factory breaking in at East Richmond, right down on the river. It's all changed now and we had to have a view on the morning of the trial and we're driving down this little narrow street in East Richmond and we were in a truck. He says to me, "Do you like pizzas?" I said, "Yes, Mousey, I do" (I'd appeared for this bloke 10 times). He stops the truck beside another truck - just completely blocked the street. He hops up, chucks 6 or 8 pizzas down into the truck, knocked them off and then on we go.

You can't steal other people's pizzas, I suppose, but there's nothing really bad about that fellow and I got to know him pretty well. I liked him a lot.

Conducted for the Bar Oral History project by Juliette Brodsky in Owen Dixon Chambers East and filmed by Stewart Carter (People Pictures)