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Tom Domican takes legal advice over Underbelly book, show

FORMER Labor party official and construction industry consultant Tom Domican is taking legal advice on whether to seek an injunction against the authors of the new book Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities.

Mr Domican, 67, has engaged Sydney lawyer Greg Gould to also examine whether he has been defamed by the Nine Network in its promotion of the new TV series based on the book, about the gang bloodshed of the 1970s and 1980s.

The hotly-anticipated show acts as a prequel to last year's smash hit Underbelly, about the 1990s Melbourne crime wars.

Mr Domican, who now runs his own construction materials business in West Australia, was outraged to learn that he features on the cover of the book, along with missing hitman Christopher Dale Flannery.

Mr Domican was acquitted of the 1987 murder of Flannery, who was known as "Mr Rent-a-Kill".

He was also accused of conspiring to murder Bill Vandenberg - but those charges were dropped.

In an exclusive statement to The Daily Telegraph today, Mr Domican said: "I received a phone call from a Perth businessman last night who said my photograph has appeared on the cover of Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities.

"I have not read the book.

"However I have referred the matter to my legal team and if there are grounds for defamation we will ask the courts for an injunction on both the book and the soon to be aired Underbelly series which is based on the book.

"To be frank I am tired of the disparaging remarks and innuendo's by certain factions of the media and certain authors who never let the truth get in the way of a good beat-up.

"I have been acquitted of all charges and I am looking forward to having my say when I release my book titled Domican later this year."

By Adam Walters
January 30, 2009
The Daily Telegraph