"He told the court he believed the former head of the Vice Squad, Bernie Johnson, had organised to have Ms Finn killed, but was unwilling to explain what led him to believe that.
Mr Properjohn repeatedly told the court it was just his "instinct".
But when the counsel assisting the coroner, Toby Bishop, asked him if he was afraid to tell the court why he believed Mr Johnson was involved, he replied, "maybe a little yeah"
The witness was questioned over an incident he later told to Ms Finn's daughter, Bridget Shewring, when he had been punched in the stomach by a detective when giving a statement in 1975.
He said it happened while giving one of two statements at the East Perth police station, but provided little other details.
Mr Properjohn insisted to the court that Mr Johnson was not one of the detectives who interviewed him, but the Vice Squad boss was included as one of two detectives conducting the interview on the police statement.
He said he had heard through some of the women who worked at Ms Finn's brothel that she the madam paid Mr Johnson "protection money".
Mr Properjohn also admitted that he was afraid of police in those days.
Mr Crowley asked if being a homosexual a criminal offence in 1975 left Mr Properjohn vulnerable to corrupt police, but he said it did not.
The witness was questioned closely on his statements made in 1975, in which he said he had been at the University of WA the night Ms Finn was killed.
The court heard a toilet block there was known as a "beat" for homosexual activity.
A previous witness, Peter Burns, was a security guard at the Crawley campus who said in court he saw Ms Finn there that night.
He was also asked about his 1975 statement which placed him at the Parklane apartments on Mounts Bay Road the night Ms Finn was killed the same apartments where her girlfriend at the time, Rose Black, said she had been."
http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-30/shirley-finn-inquest-dressmaker-properjohn-evidence/9211476
