HIGHLY-respected and dedicated Port Stephens police Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson was always willing to lend a hand or answer a call for help.
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It’s what made him one of the NSW Police Force’s finest, an 18-year veteran with a distinguished career that included a bravery award and numerous other commendations.
So when the call came in on Saturday night that police in a neighbouring command needed assistance with a pursuit, Sergeant Richardson answered.
Sadly, he would make the ultimate sacrifice and lose his life in the line of duty.
Sergeant Richardson, 43, died when his police car left the road and crashed into a tree on Lovedale Road at Allandale about 11.50pm.
While not actually engaged in the police pursuit, Sergeant Richardson was on his way to assist, police said.
The matter is now the subject of a critical incident investigation, which will be overseen by the Professional Standards Command.
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione visited Sergeant’s Richardson’s grieving family on Sunday morning to pay his respects.
He spoke with Sergeant Richardson’s wife, Margaret King, who is a Senior Constable, and sought to comfort his two young children.
“It’s a terribly sad event,” Commissioner Scipione said.
“We have lost a very good man.
“He was respected, he was loved, he was one of our finest and NSW is a much poorer state as a result of it.”
Commissioner Scipione said officers had been at Sergeant Richardson’s home since Saturday night and the police force would continue to offer its support.
“My heart goes out to them,” he said.
“We’ll be doing all we can… for as long as it takes because if you’re a part of this family you’re there for life.”
It’s believed the pursuit started in Central Hunter local area command and had been terminated and restarted a number of times. The car is also believed to have been involved in police pursuits in previous days. No one was arrested on Saturday night.
Sergeant Richardson graduated from the NSW Police Academy in 1998. He served in Campbelltown and Cobar before moving to Central Hunter and then Lake Macquarie in 2010.
He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in December, 2010. He was transferred to Port Stephens Local Area Command last year.
