The Kapunda Road Royal Commission was a royal commission created by the Government of South Australia in 2005 to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the hit and run death of Ian Humphrey and the circumstances around the trial and conviction of Eugene McGee. The Royal Commissioner was Greg James QC. The first hearing of the commission was on 12 May 2005 and the report was delivered on 15 July 2005.
Background
Ian Humphrey was riding a bicycle on Kapunda Road, north of Adelaide, when he was struck by driver Eugene McGee, an Adelaide barrister and former police prosecutor, at 5:05pm on 30 November 2003. McGee did not stop or render assistance.
Timeline
30 November 2003
12:30pm: McGee arrives at the Wheatsheaf Hotel outside Gawler, north of Adelaide, to have lunch with his brother Craig and mother Marjorie. The tables order docket shows three bottles of white wine, a glass of port and a glass of beer are purchased. 3:50pm: Eugene and Craig McGee leave the hotel to take their mother home to Kapunda, north of Gawler. 3:40 – 4:00pm: Ian Humphrey leaves his home at Evanston Park to cycle to Freeling on the Kapunda/Gawler road. 4:30 – 4:50pm: McGee leaves his mother's house to return to Adelaide. 4:50pm: Occupants of a car travelling through Kapunda notice a dark blue/green 4WD travelling in the same direction which began overtaking them in a dangerous manner on the right. A passenger thinks the driver may have been drinking. 5:00pm: Antoni Zisimou sees a green Mitsubishi Pajero driving erratically and swaying over the centre line at a speed of about in a zone. 5:05pm: Ian Humphrey is struck and killed. 5:05pm: A car is ahead of McGee travelling in the same direction. The driver sees the impact in his rear view mirror. His wife notes the registration number of McGee's vehicle and telephones police. 5:08pm: Benjamin & Irene Voroniansky who are driving in the opposite direction stop and call an ambulance. They estimate the speed of the Mitsubishi Pajero leaving the scene to be . 5:11pm: McGee makes the first of three phone calls to his lawyer David Edwardson. 5:33pm: Phones his wife Barbara. 5:37pm: Phones his brother Craig. 5:42pm: Phones his mother Marjorie. 5:50pm: Phones his brother Craig. Police attend the home of Eugene McGee. 5:50 – 6:46pm: McGee makes six phone calls to relatives. 6:49pm: Craig McGee phones Eugene McGee. 6:50pm: Police attend McGee's mother's house in Kapunda and speak to Craig McGee who informs police he has not spoken to or seen his brother and does not have his mobile phone number. 6:57pm: Craig McGee phones McGee to inform him the police have been, are looking for him, and they know his car was involved in the accident. 7:24pm: Sergeant Mills phones McGee's wife Barbara who tells him she hasn't heard from McGee and doesn't know his whereabouts. 7:30pm: Diana Gilchrist arrives at accident scene while searching for her overdue husband Ian Humphrey. 7:30pm: Craig McGee drives his brother back to Adelaide via the Kapunda/Gawler road. They are stopped at a police roadblock set up to find McGee but do not identify themselves. 7:40pm: A reporter arrives at Marjorie McGee's house in Kapunda and finds McGee's car there. 8:50pm: After being informed the car has been located, Police call at Marjorie McGee's house but find it locked up with no one home. 9:09pm: Matthew Selley phones Sergeant Mills and states he is a solicitor representing Eugene McGee. Selley requests the "state of play" with regard to the collision. Mills asks for Selley's phone number so Sergeant Hassell can speak to him. 9:10 – 10:05pm: Sergeant Hassell makes several phone calls to Selley to make arrangements to interview McGee. 10:05pm: Police phone Selley who states McGee is willing to hand himself in the following morning. 10:10pm: Police phone Selley who gives them an address in Norwood where they can speak to McGee. 11:30pm: Police speak to McGee who reads from a prepared statement. McGee is arrested and taken to the City Watchhouse. Both Sergeant Hassell and Senior Constable Bell noted they could smell alcohol on McGee while he was in the police car.