'He's not some kind of Ned Kelly'

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Phil Redpath speaks out in defence of his former colleague Glen Turner, who was gunned down in Croppa Creek.

Attempts to cast the slain environmental officer Glen Turner as a pariah who was persecuting an honest farmer have appalled a former colleague, who fears the alleged killer will be romanticised as some kind of Ned Kelly of land clearers.

I want to honour Glen by setting the record straight, said Steve Beaman, who worked alongside Mr Turner as a compliance officer in the states north-west for the state Office of Environment and Heritage.

Mr Beaman, who took redundancy last year, accompanied Mr Turner in August 2012 when he visited Ian Turnbull, the 79-year-old farmer who is now accused of murdering Mr Turner in a hail of five gunshots, three of which hit the man.

Burning off on Grant Turnbull's property 'Colorado' near Moree last week. Photo: Peter Rae

Mr Turnbull allegedly ambushed Mr Turner and fellow officer Robert Strange last week on a dirt road at Croppa Creek, north of Moree.

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I was deeply grieved by Glens death, Mr Beaman said. But he became troubled two days later when he read a media statement from a Turnbull family member who described Ian Turnbull as a respected elder who crumbled under the pressure of prosecutions and orders to remediate land cleared of trees.

Mr Turnbull had been unhappy about Mr Turner visiting their properties and the family reportedly hoped this tragedy would lead to changes to the NSW Native Vegetation Act to give farmers more say about land clearing.

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'He's not some kind of Ned Kelly'