UPDATE: Adelaide judges targeted in jailhouse murder plot named

Two of South Australia’s most senior judges, who are also a married couple with children, were the targets of an alleged jailhouse assassination plot, it can now be revealed.

Cellmates Frederick Bernard Walkuski and Hendrik Gysbertus Van Schaik allegedly hatched a plot to murder District Court judges Rosemary Davey and Paul Rice, whose identities were subject of a suppression order until today.

Mr Rice is South Australia’s third-most senior District Court judge and was appointed to the bench in August 2000. Since then he has presided over some of the state’s most high-profile cases.

His wife, fellow District Court judge Rosemary Davey, was previously a talented defence barrister, who represented one of the infamous Snowtown killers.

One of the state’s leading police officers, Detective Inspector Craig Wall, was also to be targeted, with the conspirators allegedly plotting to burn his house down.

Last week, officers from the South Australian Major Crime unit hauled in Walkuski and Van Schaik over the alleged plot.

Prosecutors are expected to allege Walkuski made an agreement with his fellow inmate to murder the pair of judges and torch Insp Wall’s house as a retribution for the length of Walkuski’s prison sentence.

The pair are charged with two counts of conspiracy to murder and one count of conspiracy to commit arson.

Walkuski is serving time in the minimum security Mobilong Prison, for offences which are the subject of another suppression order.

His alleged co-conspirator was believed to be released from jail this week, according to the Adelaide Advertiser.

It is understood Mr Rice and Ms Davey were out of the country on a holiday when the arrests occurred.

The alleged murder plot has sent shockwaves through South Australia’s legal fraternity.

Ms Davey was a well-respected judge, who beat breast cancer in 2012, appearing on ABC’s 7.30 Report to discuss her fight and the costs involved in treatment in South Australia.

She also had a long and distinguished career as a prosecutor and defence lawyer, defending Snowtown serial killer accomplice James Vlassakis, before being appointed as a judge in August 2009.

Her husband was also a top criminal lawyer and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1999.