Victorian Assistant Police Commissioner Quits Over Racist YouTube Rants

Brett Guerin, Victoria's assistant police commissioner and the head of Victoria Police’s ethical standards body, quit his post yesterday. His resignation came just one hour after The Age revealed he made racist and sexist rants on YouTube under the pseudonym “Vernon Demerest”, a character from the 1970 film Airport.

As reported in The Age, Guerin/Demerest commented frequently on the video platform, "often using profane language or referring to sodomy and rape." On a YouTube video of a Somali pirate attack, Demerest posted: "I’m afraid this is what happens when the lash is abolished. The jigaboo runs riot and out of control. The ‘boo needs the lash. The ‘boo wants the lash. Deep, deep down the ‘boo knows the lash provides the governance and stability."

Under a video of Argentina losing to Holland in the 1998 World Cup, he wrote: "Wonderful to see greasy, diving, cheating dagoes get their just reward. Bitter, lingering defeat."

Fairfax reports that Demerest also made "sexually graphic" comments about AFL, rugby league and cricket games. When Demerest the Australian Rugby League team defeated New Zealand, he saw fit to declare: "Very inspiring stuff. It was for the Aussies last night, at least, when they de-trousered, bent and lubed the Kiwis before reaming them with turgid Aussie schlong. Ouch."

In addition, Demerest expressed a deep angst over the idea of women singing the national anthem. "It must always be sung by a male," he stressed. "A baritone. And accompanied by a band. No argument. No opinion. Just fact."

Prior to the latest YouTube revelations, The Age revealed that Guerin had made offensive comments on a blog about his former colleagues, Christine Nixon (Chief Commissioner) and Paul Mullett (former Police Association boss). "She bent the Mulletmeister over and slipped a rather large schlong up his date courtesy of the Supreme Court's decision this morning," he wrote, in reference to a court case between the two. After being referred to the state's corruption watchdog, Guerin confessed he was indeed Vernon Demerest, telling 3AW that "The language I used [in the blog post]… was completely inappropriate, embarrassing and I can understand people saying 'what the hell is this bloke doing?'" When asked why he used an alias, Guerin (very cleverly) pointed out that had he used his real name, "it would have been associated with police."

Victoria Police said in a statement on Monday night that there would be an ongoing Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission investigation into Guerin's actions.