Baden-Clay’s former employer speaks for first time, remembers convicted killer as ‘strange’

The former boss of Gerard Baden-Clay has claimed the convicted killer was a “strange” employee.

Flight Centre founder Graham Turner spoke about Baden-Clay for the first time ahead of the Brisbane rally attended by more than a thousand people today to protest the decision to downgrade his murder conviction.

Baden-Clay, who was last year sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife Allison, had his conviction downgraded to manslaughter on appeal earlier this month, sparking community anger.

Mr Turner described Baden-Clay as  the complete opposite of his wife, who had also worked at Flight Centre as the global human resources manager.

“I remember her quite well,” Mr Turner told the Courier Mail.

“She was highly regarded, successful, both in the shop and when she came into recruitment – very highly regarded.”

Her husband, however, was not as loved, Mr Turner said.

“Gerard was a bit of a slightly different character but I certainly remember him,” he recalled.

“I did know him but not well. He was considered a little bit strange.

“She was certainly the person that everyone liked and was very good at what she was doing.”

Other staff members also said Baden-Clay was not as friendly as his wife, describing him as “posh” and proud.

Baden-Clay and Allison met each other while working at the company, they left their jobs after travelling overseas for their honeymoon in 1997.

Within the company there have been rumours they actually left because Baden-Clay was caught stealing money.

“That was the story,” Mr Turner said.

“But I think it was one of those things that couldn’t be proved. So he was let go, but not necessarily tried for that.”

When the couple returned to Brisbane several years later, they were both hired back at the company.

Baden-Clay and his manager later became the first ever people made redundant by Flight Centre when the Global Online team they were trialling became too expensive to continue.

He tried and failed to sue the company.

Flight Centre has publicly voiced its support for the rally at King George Square today and Mr Turner attended the event along with other staff members.

He said he hopes the move will show any of the company’s employees who may be affected by domestic violence they have a support system.

“This is the classic case if you like,” Mr Turner said.

“It’s not obvious within our organisation but inevitably with 18,000 staff it will be there.

“It’s the sort of thing that does get hidden.

“A lot of the time people don’t want to admit to it. It’s one of the things we try to give people support if they need it.”

The company has not made a public comment about Baden-Clay’s sentence.

“That’s not for us to make a judgment on,” Mr Turner said.