Sydney death 'not police's fault'

By Red Harrison
BBC, Sydney

Hickey's mother cried uncontrollably as the verdict was given

Police in Australia have been cleared of having caused the death of an Aboriginal boy, Thomas "T J" Hickey.

The death led to one of the country's worst race riots earlier this year.

At an inquest in Sydney, the coroner described the death of the 17-year-old as a freak accident and said police were not to blame.

The boy's family and friends say a police patrol car chased him, causing him to fall off his bicycle and become impaled on a fence post.

Police deny they had been chasing the boy and the coroner, John Abernathy, agreed with them.

Driver stays silent

Mr Abernathy found that a police car was following Hickey through the streets of the inner city Sydney suburb of Redfern but he was satisfied, he said, that this did not contribute to the boy's death.

The driver of the police car declined on legal advice to give evidence.

The disturbance was the worst violence in Australia for years

Hickey died in hospital the following day, leading to serious clashes between police and Aborigines in which more than 40 police were injured by youths who attacked them with stones, bottles, bricks and fireworks.

Hickey's mother wept uncontrollably at the inquest as the coroner urged Sydney's Aboriginal community to put the incident behind them.

The premier of New South Wales, Bob Carr, agreed.

Mr Carr said there was nothing to be gained in playing the game of finding someone to blame.