Four of the finest

This edition of Police Life is dedicated to the memories of the four officers whose lives were lost. The collective thoughts of Victoria Police remain with the families, friends and colleagues of our fallen comrades.

While their service to the community is now finished, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Josh Prestney and Constable Glen Humphris will always be remembered and will forever be at the heart of Victoria Police.

On the day of her funeral, torrential rain hit the Victoria Police Academy as Leading Senior Constable Taylor’s casket left the chapel.

But as a lone piper played Amazing Grace in a final tribute and a minute’s silence followed, the rain gave way to sunshine and a rainbow appeared in the dark skies on the horizon. It was a fitting symbol of Leading Senior Constable Taylor’s colourful life, one lived brightly and positively.

Her life was also lived largely in uniform, with the 60-year-old spending 31 years working for Victoria Police after joining the ranks in January 1989.

The job led Leading Senior Constable Taylor to meet her husband Stuart Schulze, a Victoria Police veteran.

The pair first crossed paths in the ‘bowels’ of Russell Street Police Station. Then, late one night in May 1989, they met at the Police Club.

“She wore a long hippy dress, the only police member who wore a dress there. She was interesting, different,” Stuart said.

The pair went on to get married and have two sons, Nathan and Alexander, but their lives were far from what most would consider a traditional family existence.

Having adventured to almost every corner of the globe in her younger years, Leading Senior Constable Taylor passed on her lifelong love of travel to her husband and sons, and the family often embarked on overseas trips.

All trips were expertly planned by Leading Senior Constable Taylor, with the most epic coming after Stuart’s retirement from the force. After four years spent building a yacht, Stuart, Lyn and their two sons eventually set sail on an epic, 12-month voyage through the South Pacific.

The adventure continued when they returned too, as the family continued to live on the yacht, named Sapphire Blue after Lyn’s favourite gem.

The overseas trips provided Leading Senior Constable Taylor a break away from her distinguished police career, where she was recognised by the Chief Commissioner for good work while performing duties at the Traffic Camera Office and was the recipient of National Medal first clasp – 25 years, National Police Service medal and the Victoria Police Service medal fourth clasp – 30 years.

She quickly progressed from general duties policing into traffic and road policing roles early in her career and worked in the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section (RPDAS) Operations Unit since 2011.

Leading Senior Constable Claire McMorron worked side-by-side Leading Senior Constable Taylor on booze buses for the best part of the decade and was always calmed by her colleague’s positive energy.

“When Lyn came into the room, she would just brighten my day. I knew my day would be better with her around,” Leading Senior Constable McMorron said.

Leading Senior Constable Taylor’s caring nature came to the fore when she mentored and guided Victoria Police's newest recruits when they arrived at RPDAS for their first operational duties.

“She was always there to help the constables, to help them with their paperwork and whatever else. They come straight to us from the Academy and they’re often nervous, but Lyn would walk them through everything,” Leading Senior Constable McMorron said.

Leading Senior Constable Taylor was carrying out the supervision duties she enjoyed when her life was tragically taken on the Eastern Freeway after she was struck by a truck alongside her three colleagues.

“Lots of people are calling her a hero but she’d be so embarrassed that people thought of her as that,” Leading Senior Constable McMorron said.

“She was very unassuming and just quietly went about her job. But she was always smiling, and she smiled right from her inside out. She spread joy with that smile and her funny little laugh.”

Stuart said his wife’s adventurous spirit and passion for life would live on in her two sons.

“She loved them dearly and only wanted them to get ahead and be happy,” he said.

“We shared all life’s rich experiences, especially if it involved good value tasty food, good wine and good travel.”

The pain felt by her family, Stuart, Nathan and Alexander, and Victoria Police colleagues shows that like the appearance of the rainbow in the skies on the day she was farewelled, Leading Senior Constable Taylor’s life was all too brief.

But it’s also clear that like the rainbow, Leading Senior Constable Taylor brightened the lives of all those lucky enough to be in her presence.

And like many of his colleagues, Senior Constable King was led to a career with Victoria Police by a caring nature and a want to help people.

“Kevin was a caring, considerate, gentle and kind-hearted person. A big softie who would do anything for absolutely anyone,” Senior Constable King’s wife, Sharron, said.

“He’d always be there. That was who Kevin was and so much more.”

Senior Constable King joined Victoria Police later in life, entering the Academy in his forties.

According to his family, the decision to enter police ranks was a step in a familiar direction for the father of three.

He had spent years working in the clothing industry and later turned his love of fitness into a job, becoming a personal trainer, but yearned for something more rewarding.

“Policing was something Kevin seemed almost destined to do,” Sharron said.

“He was searching for a long time for something that had meaning, and we’d often joke that he seemed like a cop long before he was a cop, it was his nature.

“He was always methodical, very well organised, and loved camaraderie. He loved going to work, it was his home away from home.”

After six years working at various stations in Melbourne, Senior Constable King took the next step in his career and transferred to the Nunawading Highway Patrol in 2018.

Officer in Charge of the Nunawading Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Bradford Peters said Senior Constable King used his maturity to his advantage when on patrol.

“Kevin was an older head with a lot of life experience. He always made good judgement calls and decisions,” Senior Sergeant Peters said.

“He was a terrific bloke. A lovely, all-round good bloke who took to road policing immediately. He would do anything in his power to not let you down.

When he wasn’t wearing the police blue, Senior Constable King was focused on all things yellow and black as a lifelong passionate supporter of the Richmond Football Club. He passed on his love for the Tigers to his three sons, James, William and Henry.

“Kevin has always loved football and loved getting outside with his sons most weekends to have a kick of the footy,” Sharron said.

“Our three boys will miss so much about their father, not least going to the football with him, kicking the footy, or just joking with him and listening to his slightly daggy dad jokes.

“They enjoyed watching all of the footy TV shows and matches together.

“He would also watch Highway Patrol and would often tell good stories to us about his colleagues that appeared on the show. They were his mates, part of his family.”

Senior Constable King’s other passion in life was music, something that was celebrated on his 50th birthday in February.

“He loved music, particularly his guitar. He’d be strumming on the guitar at every opportunity; he’d often go outside with his coffee and the guitar in the sunshine,” Sharron said.

“We gifted Kevin a long-awaited guitar amplifier for his 50th birthday to keep feeding that passion, despite the fear that our family room would turn into a music studio.

“There was also the cooking. Kevin loved good food, particularly Italian food, and he’d watch many cooking shows on TV. His regular ‘specialties’ were his pasta dishes and minestrone soup.”

As she so perfectly described her husband’s character, life and legacy, Sharron also offered the clearest insight into the pain his death has caused for his colleagues, friends and family.

“Kevin was from a very close-knit family and this is such a devastating shock for all of us,” she said.

“Our hearts are so broken.

“From the perspective of being Kevin’s partner, my heart is in pieces; I’m totally devastated.

“My beautiful man, my life, my rock and my only love for 35 years is gone, and life will never be the same.”

Before his life was tragically cut short when he and three of his colleagues were killed in the line of duty in April, the 28-year-old had shown himself to be a natural police officer.

Boroondara Police Station Leading Senior Constable Phil Davis was one of the team showing Constable Prestney the ropes and saw a bright future for his younger offsider.

“We worked the van together and I could tell he was so keen to learn,” Leading Senior Constable Davis said.

“I’d taught him how to do vehicle intercepts, and he just absorbed it. He was methodical, he was cluey, he would make a really good detective.”

Senior Constable Kimberly McDonald was another who noticed Constable Prestney was made for the job.

“Josh was way smarter than a lot of people at his level,” she said.

“I had a few night shifts with him about a month ago and he was so easy to have with me on the van, I barely had to tell him anything.”

Constable Prestney wasn’t the first of his family to show promise in police work, after his younger brother First Constable Alex Prestney paved the way for his sibling to join the force.

Both were stationed at Boroondara, much to the elation of the brothers and the staff.

Constable Prestney had only days earlier been matched permanently to Boroondara Police Station and, with Alex having just transferred to Southern Metro Division 1 Highway Patrol, it meant Josh would truly mirror his brother’s career and the Prestney name would continue to serve the Boroondara community.

“To stir up Alex, we would refer to Josh as the better Prestney,” Leading Senior Constable Davis said.

“But they really both brought their own personality traits to the job. It was beautiful to see Josh and Alex sitting at the same desk, two brothers working side-by-side.”

The sense of pride in the two Prestney brothers working at the same station was one also intensely felt by parents Andrew and Belinda.

“Josh found his calling with Victoria Police after seeing how much his younger brother Alex loved the job,” Belinda said.

“The proudest moment of our lives was when Alex presented Josh with his badge at the graduation ceremony in December last year.

“Josh and Alex were only 18 months apart in age and grew up doing everything together. Alex has lost his best friend, big brother and offsider.”

Andrew and Belinda remember their son as a talented musician and avid sports fan with a “genuine soul”.

“For his dad, Josh was a best mate, for his mum, a protector and someone who never ceased to make us smile,” the pair said.

“He was blessed with many talents that he nurtured and developed with persistence and drive.

“Josh was an amazing guitarist who loved hard rock and metal. Music was at the heart of everything he did; it made him who he was in so many ways.”

Constable Prestney was also in a loving relationship with his partner, Stacey.

“They were perfect for one another and had made plans for their future together,” Belinda said.

Despite his time in uniform being cut short in the worst possible circumstances, Constable Prestney’s colleagues say they will always remember the profound impact he left on them and will honour his memory by continuing the police work he was so passionate about.

“Josh, you were and always will be a brother in blue,” Constable Ty Christy said.

“You make me proud to be a police officer and were an incredible man. I’ll miss your cheeky smile and your one-liners.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t protect you.

“Until we meet again, my friend, I will carry you with me everywhere I go and every time I put the uniform on, I will think of you.

“Rest in peace Josh, your watch is over.”

It didn’t matter who the person was or the situation they were in, Constable Humphris wanted to be there to support and assist them. That desire is what drove him to join Victoria Police in 2019. Before that decision, he had left school to become an apprentice carpenter but switched trades and became a personal trainer, helping people to lose weight and get fit.

He took that passion a step further and completed a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science at University of Newcastle and obtained a Masters in Exercise Physiology at the University of Sydney, becoming a sports scientist and exercise physiologist.

Constable Humphris was then employed by Return to Work, helping people get back to their jobs after injuries or illness.

It was there he met his partner Todd Robinson and after eight months of dating, the pair moved from New South Wales to Victoria due to Todd’s career with the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Weighing up between a career change to the ADF or Victoria Police, Constable Humphris chose the blue uniform over the green.

“He loved it,” Todd said of Constable Humphris’ police career.

“He knew what was right and wrong, knew how to help people and was very proud to be a Victoria Police officer.”

Constable Humphris’ caring personality wasn’t lost on his colleagues either, particularly his squad mates at the Victoria Police Academy.

For Constable Jessie George, she knew from her first conversation with Constable Humphris during a run at the Academy why he wanted to be a police officer.

“It was evident straight away that he was in it to help people,” she said.

“Some people get into the job to catch crooks or for a career change, but Glen just wanted to help.

“He saw lots of different people go through lots of different and difficult things in their life and he wanted to make a difference.

“Even though he didn’t spend long in the job, I have no doubt in my mind that he was an amazing copper and he would’ve gone on to do amazing things.”

Constable Humphris’ potential shone through during his time at the Academy. His results in both examinations and assessments were well above average and he narrowly missed out on the Highest Academic Achiever Award for his squad.

He completed placements at South Melbourne and Melbourne East police stations and graduated in March 2020 before a placement in the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section Operations Unit.

While a high achiever, Constable Humphris was also one to lighten the mood.

“He’d make great jokes at probably not the greatest times, but it made everyone laugh and the situation better,” squad mate Constable Grace McLaren said.

“He was just the type of person you wanted to get to know. When I first met him, I was immediately drawn to him. I thought he was caring in all the right ways; he had that sarcastic sense of humour and was the funniest person I’d ever met.”

Todd said his partner’s ability to bring joy was important in their household as they both worked demanding jobs in uniform.

“We’d just have to look at each other to smile, he had this infectious smile,” Todd said.

“Whatever mood we were in after coming home, after both spending our days in uniform, he’d light up the room with his little smile and his infectious personality.”

Todd and Constable Humphris also loved their time outdoors. Their first date was a 30-kilometre bike ride and they competed in triathlons and enjoyed hiking and mountain biking in their spare time.

Constable Humphris’ love for the outdoors was fostered by his upbringing in Gosford on the New South Wales Central Coast with his parents Katie Tyson and Mark Humphris, and older brother Wade.

Following his funeral, Constable Humphris’ body made the near 1000-kilometre journey to Newcastle, a full police escort leading the way.

At the New South Wales border, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton presented New South Wales Police Force Deputy Commissioner Jeff Loy the police hat belonging to Constable Humphris and an Australian flag while passing over the repatriation effort.

Throughout the entire journey, police colleagues lined the road and saluted the convoy as it passed.

It was a fitting way to help bring home a man who had helped so many.

Photography: Supplied, AAP, Jesse-Wray McCann

Editorial: Grant Condon