Policeman shows audience photo of Jill Meagher in shallow grave

Australian police have apologised to the family of Irish murder victim Jill Meagher after a photo of her lying in a shallow grave was shown to an audience by a police detective who had investigated her killing.

The Australian newspaper the 'Herald Sun' says the image was shown to a group of around 400 men at a cancer fundraising event in the state of Victoria last week.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ron Iddles displayed the photo while giving a talk to the event about his years as a homicide detective.

Victoria Police have offered Jill Meagher's family its sincerest apologies for what its called an "unfortunate error".

The Louth journalist was raped and murdered by Adrian Ernest Bailey as she walked home from a night out in Melbourne last year.