At the time of Eastman's trial in May 1995, Ray Thornton was not an operational police officer, and had only a fleeting involvement with the investigation into the shooting murder of Colin Stanley Winchester in 1989.

Mr Thornton worked with the Internal Security and Audit Division (ISAD) of the federal AFP, a group that looked after the safety of officers, but had no involvement whatsoever with providing security to judges or other public figures.

But he has spoken about an unusual one-on-one meeting he was ordered to have with Acting Justice Ken Carruthers, while the judge was presiding over Eastman's trial.

Mr Thornton was giving evidence on Wednesday to an inquiry into Eastman's 1995 conviction for murdering Assistant Commissioner Winchester, which was ordered last year after "fresh doubt" was raised.

Mr Thornton told the inquiry he had been summonsed to the office of Commander Adrian Melville Whiddett, who was his superior, but not his direct supervisor.

He said Commander Whiddett told him to go and meet with Acting Justice Carruthers to talk with the judge about fears for his safety posed by Eastman.

Mr Thornton told the inquiry he thought the details of the meeting had already been organised for him.

"My feeling is an arrangement was made and I was asked to go somewhere at a particular time," he said.

Another meeting was arranged, in which Mr Thornton was given a confidential psychiatric report on Eastman to read before he spoke with Acting Justice Carruthers.

He can't remember who gave him that report, whether it was a police officer or a court officer, where they met, or which exact psychiatric report it was.

Thornton said he then met with the judge, possibly at the court house, and spoke with him about his security concerns.

He said he thinks he told the judge to be more security and surveillance-conscious, and to take different routes back to his apartment from the court.

Thornton said he hadn't tried to frighten the judge, and had personally thought an attack by Eastman on Acting Justice Carruthers while he was commuting home was unlikely.

He was unsure whether he had the psychiatric report on Eastman - compiled by Dr Rod Milton - with him when he met with Acting Justice Carruthers, but said it was possible.

Mr Thornton had already read documents from Dr Milton on Eastman's mental health in March 1995, well before he was summonsed to Commander Whiddett's office.

Eastman's counsel Mark Griffin, QC, asked Mr Thornton whether he accepted that he gave a Milton report to the judge.

Mr Thornton responded "no".

Mr Griffin said "you don't concede that it's even a possibility?"

Mr Thornton replied "no I don't".

When the meeting with the judge was over, Mr Thornton said he went back to Commander Whiddett to brief him.

He said he had not kept any note about his meeting, despite it being "highly unusual".