THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF STEPHEN COOKSON CRIME Page 22 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 6, 2013 www.MelbourneObserver.com.au ● Stephen Cookson in Perth. Photo: 7 News ● Schoolboy debaters: Ash Long (now Editor of the Melbourne Ob- server), the late Peter Huxley (coach), Terry Bramham (now a solici- tor), and Stephen Cookson in 1973 ● Stephen Cookson, cricketer ■ Straight-laced school teacher Ri- chard Stowell should have seen it coming when he tried to teach the Nicene Creed to 11-year-old ‘Divin- ity’ pupils in 1968. “Sir, what’s a virgin? And would I find one in Reservoir?” The questioner was Stephen Ramon Cookson, newly enrolled stu- dent at Ivanhoe Grammar’s Junior School. Fresh from the working-class suburb of Reservoir, he brought a rough-and-tumble approach to his new “posh” school. ‘Cooka’s’ questions flustered the Junior Headmaster, even though the schoolboy humour would have gone over the heads of most of the pre-pu- bescent lads. ‘Cooka’ showed no fear, whether it be in the classroom, as a wicket- keeper in cricket, or as a tough junior footballer. Before he became a teen- ager, he became proficient in using fear against his opponents - whether they be teachers or students. So it came as no surprise to his Ivanhoe school mates from 40 years ago when news came that his severed head had been found in a plastic bag at Rottnest Island in Western Aus- tralia. He was full of contrasts. Stephen Cookson opted for a life of violence from an early age. Many/most of his classmates had copped a bashing at some time early in their association with him. Yet he was Equal Dux in his first year at Ivanhoe, winner of the prizes for Composition, Literature and Sport, and a member of the Chess Club. (The other Equal Dux was me.) Clever ... yet some 40 years on, Cookson had served serious jail time in Germany and Western Australia, for serious drug offences. Also known as ‘Cookie’, he had been described in the press as “the baddest man in WA racing”, had been warned off Perth racecourses, was reported for bashing racing identities, had been a heroin user, and was about to face court for possession of enough methylamphetamines with intent to sell or supply. He was said to be in- volved in the Perth brothel scene. But let’s rewind to 1968. ● ‘Cooka’, age 11, 1968 ● Stephen Cookson, school footballer, 1973 ● Stephen Cookson, schoolboy swimmer, 1970 Upon his release, he returned to whale-size gambling. He pumped so much cash through the East Perth TAB that a Federal Police check was conducted at the branch. ‘Cooka’ was a magnificent story- teller. He told of being a winning trainer of a horse in the Melbourne Cup. He had defended himself in a High Court appeal, albeit unsuccessfully. Former classmates laugh as they recall him delivering an assignment, giving a speech written on a roll of toilet paper.. He boasted of being a member of Mensa. On the other hand, locals in Perth say he was a character that rarely showered or changed clothes. After an argument about owner- ship of a horse, the owner returned several days later to find the horse dead in the yard. That owner also received a bro- ken nose for his troubles. Another horse racing identity com- plained about injuries after a Cookson bashing. ‘Cooka’ replied that the man had “brittle bones”. Police say that another person in- volved in similar ‘meth’ drug traffick- ing had also been found dead. Stephen Cookson was a brilliantly- able man who was “off the hinges”. He charmed us with his words, and terrorised us as a thug. But no-one deserves to die like this. Guard: “Mr Cookson will also be an apology for that reunion.” Whilst in jail in WA, ‘Cooka’ be- came part of some very heavy prison life. His ex-prison colleague Trevor told me: “Steve Cookson was well feared in jail and he had good connections in the drug world, “He and I nearly came to blows though. I didn't like him. They were getting my allocation of ice cream in jail and I was getting none so I took Steve's . “He was well pissed off and a del- egation was formed to stop me taking "their" ice cream. “It was comical but quite serious, these blokes would kill you for an ice cream.” ‘Cooka’ reportedly increased his interest in the ponies and punting. It is unsure whether he completed his law studies at Monash. Gossip has it that he was involved with a hold-up at his Victorian work- place, but staff recognised the famil- iar waddle of the accused. The need for cash to fund his gam- bling saw Stephen Cookson become involved in the drug industry. He was jailed in Germany, and later Western Australia. Police sources told me that there were outstanding warrants in Victoria for him that would prevent his return to his home state. Ahead of our school reunion (1989, I think), I phoned the WA jail where ‘Cooka’ was an inmate. Guard: “Mr Cookson will be an apology. When is your next reunion?” Me: Five years. Steve Cookson, to my knowledge, was the eldest child in a family from Reservoir. His father was a plumber, who would often drive his son to school in a battered old Holden. Both dad and son had a passion for punting. By the time he was just a teen- ager, ‘Cooka’ was wagging school days to attend midweek race meet- ings at Moonee Valley and Caulfield. He would bet on anything. Stephen Cookson would quickly show that his fists would solve an ar- gument, if reason could not. In Form 4 (Year 10), we were both working on a community service project during a week in the Spring school holidays: painting a pensioner lady’s house in West Heidelberg. There was an argument about something incidental, probably paint, so he held me down on the ground, sitting atop me, delivering a round of damaging punches to the head. That was 1972, I still reckon I don’t breathe properly because of that bashing. But ‘Cooka’ could also be engag- ing. We walked home together that night to Reservoir. School friends remember that at a school dance featuring flamboyant entertainer Jeff Duff and his group Kush, the school came under assault by ‘the Heidelberg Boys’. He fought them off single-handedly, they recall. In 1973, Stephen Cookson vio- lently assaulted one of the school’s most-able athletes. In the language of the times, he was asked not to return to Ivanhoe Grammar. The last time I spoke to ‘Cooka’ was in 1973 - 40 years ago. He finished his final secondary school year at Carey Baptist Gram- mar School, boasting later that one of his contemporaries there - and at Monash University - was Peter Costello, later to be Federal Treasurer. By Ash Long, Editor Former Victorian criminal Stephen Cookson has been found dead in Western Austra- lia. An 11-year-old girl found his severed head in a plastic bag. Editor ASH LONG looks back at the violent life of a school col- league.