Joseph Luker
Encyclopedia
Joseph Luker was a Sydney
foot police officer who was recorded as the first police officer to be killed on duty in Australia.
Luker had been deported as a convict
from Middlesex
, England
and disembarked at Jervis Bay
from the Atlantis in 1791, as part of the Third Fleet
after a voyage of 146 days. In 1796 Luker was declared a freeman and became a police constable.
On 26 August 1803 Luker was on a routine night patrol of Back Row East, now Phillip Street, Sydney
, where a series of robberies had occurred.
When his body was found the next day, he had suffered 16 horrific head wounds, with the guard of his cutlass
embedded in his skull.
Four men later faced court for his murder - Joseph Samuels, Isaac Simmonds, Richard Jackson and James Hardwicke. Three were acquitted, as were two fellow constables. Samuels was originally sentenced to death, but this was commuted to life imprisonment
after three attempts to hang him had failed. Simmonds was strongly suspected of involvement in Luker's death, but this was never sustained in court.
Luker is now commemorated in the National Police Memorial
at King's Park, Canberra
.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
foot police officer who was recorded as the first police officer to be killed on duty in Australia.
Luker had been deported as a convict
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
from Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and disembarked at Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay is a large bay bounded by the state of New South Wales, the Jervis Bay Territory, and a detached enclave of the Australian Capital Territory. HMAS Creswell is located between Jervis Bay Village and Greenpatch in the Jervis Bay Territory.-History:...
from the Atlantis in 1791, as part of the Third Fleet
Third Fleet
The name Third Fleet can refer to:* United States 3rd Fleet* Third Fleet , part of the British effort of the late eighteenth century to colonise Australia* IJN 3rd Fleet, Imperial Japanese Navy...
after a voyage of 146 days. In 1796 Luker was declared a freeman and became a police constable.
On 26 August 1803 Luker was on a routine night patrol of Back Row East, now Phillip Street, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, where a series of robberies had occurred.
When his body was found the next day, he had suffered 16 horrific head wounds, with the guard of his cutlass
Cutlass
A cutlass is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket shaped guard...
embedded in his skull.
Four men later faced court for his murder - Joseph Samuels, Isaac Simmonds, Richard Jackson and James Hardwicke. Three were acquitted, as were two fellow constables. Samuels was originally sentenced to death, but this was commuted to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
after three attempts to hang him had failed. Simmonds was strongly suspected of involvement in Luker's death, but this was never sustained in court.
Luker is now commemorated in the National Police Memorial
National Police Memorial Australia
Australia's National Police Memorial is in the national capital, Canberra, in King's Park on the northern shore of Lake Burley Griffin adjacent to the National Carillon on Aspen Island...
at King's Park, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.