Police Commissioner Michael Murphy has admitted under oath at a coronial inquest that he was made aware of racist awards distributed by the NT Police’s elite tactical unit last August but took no action, later misleading the public when he said at a February press conference that he had no knowledge of them.

He was also forced to explain why he personally overturned disciplinary action against an acting senior sergeant last year who had shared a topless photo of an Aboriginal woman in a chat group with other officers that included racist and misogynistic comments.

Mr Murphy appeared this morning at the ongoing coronial inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker, following allegations raised earlier in the week by former TRG officer Carey Joy that he told Mr Murphy about the racist TRG awards in August, but that Mr Murphy had taken no action to investigate or hold anyone accountable.

Mr Murphy first said he was too busy to take any action on the racism he was made aware of, but later said it was “regrettable” he had not taken action.

“I should have actioned that,” he said. “I should have reported it to Professional Standards Command and regrettably I did not.”

Counsel assisting the coroner Peggy Dwyer then read a transcript of a press conference Mr Murphy held on February 27, in which he was asked directly if he was aware of the racist awards that Zach Rolfe had raised at the inquest the previous day, but denied any knowledge of them before Mr Rolfe’s evidence.

Mr Murphy said the lie was not “intentional” and that he did not draw a link to the meeting in August when he was asked about the racist awards.

“I’m not trying to be untruthful or misleading to the media or the community,” he said.

“I’m aware of my obvious commitments to the public and the importance of my position as the Commissioner of Police. I accept that’s the case [that he misled the public] but it wasn’t intended at the time.”

Mr Murphy said he had to “question the reliability” of the information Mr Joy gave him, despite the details provided – including that more than 100 officers had copies of award certificates and possibly videos – because he felt Mr Joy was “disaffected” with the police executive and was going through “a number of challenges in his life”.

“[With] what I know now, to what I knew then, I probably didn’t treat it with the seriousness I should have,” he said. “This role is quite demanding, I was quite busy.”

Ms Dwyer asked if he was so busy why he did not delegate an investigation into the awards. He agreed he should have reported it to Professional Standards but did offer any other explanation for why he failed to refer it.

It was also revealed that Mr Joy had informed Mr Murphy at the August meeting that he was at the Alice Springs Chinese restaurant on the night Mr Murphy was alleged to have racially abused staff two decades ago. That same allegation had also been caught on body worn camera footage in 2022, when Mr Joy had raised it with another officer.

Mr Murphy explained that he had told ICAC investigators that he was drunk at the time of the Chinese restaurant incident and did not recall what words were said.

Ms Dwyer asked if he had chosen not to investigate his own matter because he was concerned about “adverse publicity or embarrassment”. Mr Murphy rejected that.

The so-called Noogadah awards, also known as the “coon of the year awards” were handed out to TRG members who displayed poor personal hygiene and other characteristics the police officers considered to be Aboriginal traits.

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage released images of awards handed out between 2007 and 2016 and other material on Monday at the inquest, which included a certificate awarded for the “most coon like BBQ ever”, images of people in blackface, a photo of an Aboriginal man face down on the ground with VB logos superimposed around him, and another “Noogadah” award given to a drunk officer for displaying the “utmost level of Aboriginality while being an elite member of the TR[G]”.

That material followed certificates containing the Aboriginal flag tendered in court in March, as well as the revelation last month that police had circulated a picture of a “black monopoly” board game with every space marked “go to jail”.

The evidence contradicts sworn statements by five current and former TRG members who had claimed to Ms Armitage that there was no racism in the unit and that the “Noogadah” award had no racial undertones.

Mr Murphy refused on Wednesday to comment on those members’ statements, citing an ongoing ICAC investigation into the stat decs.

Mr Murphy, Police Minister Brent Potter and ICAC Michael Riches all said in the last few days that they were pleased the racist conduct appeared to have ceased around 2016.

However, Ms Dwyer said that was not true and that the TRG, by their own admission, had changed the name of the Noogadah award in 2022 to the “Voldemort” award.

“So, the fact that the racist term ‘Noogadah’ was still being used in 2022 suggests, doesn’t it, that allegations in relation to racism are not historic, even taking the TRG awards as an example,” she said.

Mr Murphy said that was “concerning”.

He was then asked about why he personally overturned disciplinary action for an acting senior sergeant who shared a photo of a topless Aboriginal woman in March 2022 on a police chat group that included racist comments, added to by other members of a property crime taskforce.

The officer had been demoted, but it was revealed earlier this month that Mr Murphy overturned that decision last September, which he said was necessary at the time because the officer could have taken unlimited sick leave and he did not want to lose any more members.

Mr Murphy said he no longer felt it was appropriate to overturn the disciplinary action against the officer.

“If I had the file again to make a determination, your Honour, I probably would have kept it the same or maybe firmer sanctions [against the officer].”