FORMER cop Denis Tanner yesterday challenged Chief Commissioner Ken Lay to charge him with the 1984 murder of his sister-in-law, Jennifer Tanner.
"I demand he charges me," Mr Tanner told the Herald Sun.
His appeal to be charged with murder came as Ms Tanner's mother, Kath Blake, yesterday backed former state coroner Graeme Johnstone's finding that Mr Tanner shot dead her daughter.
Ms Blake was speaking outside the Coroners Court yesterday after State Coroner Jennifer Coate officially struck out an application made by Mr Tanner to overturn Mr Johnstone's finding.
She said she now hoped the case was closed.
"It's been a long, sad 28 years for us and we're hoping to see the finish today," Ms Blake said yesterday.
"We still are happy with Graeme Johnstone's finding in 1998."
Mr Tanner said he wanted to be charged because being put on trial for murder was the only avenue left to him to try to prove his innocence.
The Herald Sun this week revealed Mr Tanner was withdrawing his application to Judge Coate after recently discovering what he thought was new alibi evidence he was relying on was not technically new.
"Everybody in Victoria thinks I am a murderer because of that 1998 finding. I want the chance to present evidence in court that proves I am not," Mr Tanner said.
"I am quite satisfied that should I get a forum I will be cleared, exonerated completely.
"I was in Melbourne when Jennifer died and I have witnesses to account for every minute of that day."
Mr Tanner's lawyer, Bob Galbally, yesterday told the court Mr Tanner, who has never been charged over Jennifer's death, had been denied justice as supportive witnesses still existed, but Mr Tanner had no avenue available to him to air their evidence.
In arguing at yesterday's hearing that Mr Tanner should pay costs for the latest court proceedings, lawyer Christine Melis, for Victoria Police, said Mr Tanner's application had been unreasonable and doomed to fail.
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