Arabic version: وفاة كاث بيتينغيل عن 91 عاماً

According to ABC News, Kath Pettingill, the mother of figures linked to one of Melbourne’s most notorious crime families, has died aged 91. Her death was confirmed by a family member, who declined to comment.

Pettingill was associated with Melbourne’s criminal underworld from the 1970s to the 2000s. She was the mother of Trevor Pettingill and Victor Peirce, who, along with two other men, were charged over the 1988 murders of constables Steven Tynan and Damien Eyre in Walsh Street, South Yarra.

The officers were ambushed and killed after being called to investigate a dumped stolen car. The shootings were said to have been a revenge attack following the Armed Robbery Squad’s fatal shooting of Graeme Jensen, a close friend of the Richmond-based family. All four accused men were later acquitted by a jury.

Among Pettingill’s other children were Dennis Bruce Allen, known as Dr Death, who was a suspect in more than 10 murders and died in jail, and Peter Allen, a convicted heroin dealer. In a 1996 ABC interview, Pettingill said her life had been “very brutal” and that she had sworn to look after her children.

Her family inspired the 2010 Australian film Animal Kingdom, in which Jacki Weaver played matriarch Janine Cody. Pettingill later said she was not impressed by the film or Weaver’s portrayal.