Andrew L. Urban
It took 16 years to put Paul Charlton before a jury for the murder of his girlfriend, Joanne Howell. Just before the trial, he was kidnapped, taken into the bush, bashed and warned to plead guilty. The Herald Sun reported it, police took statements but the alleged thugs were never found. He pleaded not guilty. Emails to us from his partner Linda Barry (before a lapse in our communications) add some flesh to the bare bones of the time line. And there’s more to come on this story…
This interim report does not argue either in favour or against the conviction. Further report/s will be published as more information becomes available.
The time line:
The murder 2007
The inquest 2011
The defendant charged with murder 2021
The trial & conviction 2023
The email chain:
On Sat, Dec 2, 2023 at 11:43 AM linda barry [address redacted] wrote:
Dear Andrew,
My partner ,Paul Charlton has been convicted on 6/7/2023 of a cold case Murder in 2007. He is 69 years old.
He was never charged in 2007 as not enough evidence
An inquest was held in 2011
Then he was charged in January 2021,
He got bail in June 2021
A week before trial he was kidnapped and assaulted and threats were made to my life if he didn’t change his plea from not guilty. And of course , he was not believed.
Then the trial began in June 2023 and a jury found him guilty
He was sentenced on the 29th November 2023 for 24 years with non-parole period of 19 years and also told if he survives his sentence when he is 88 he will then be deported back to the UK., where he has no friends or family, he came to Australia with his family when he was 7 years old.
Paul and his lawyer are having a conference next week to see if there are grounds for appeal with an appeal barrister, so hopefully I will know more next week.
There is also a lot more factors to this situation. Which I won’t go into now
Regarding police not doing their job and other matters.
If you have any further questions, or would like to take an interest in this case please dont hesitate to contact me.
Kind Regards
Linda Barry
On Sat, Dec 2, 2023 at 1:51 PM linda barry [address redacted] wrote:
Dear Andrew,
I am in a small country town of Bruthen, Victoria.
Paul was on bail and living with me when he was kidnapped at my home in Bruthen, and was grabbed from behind when working outside near the garage punching him tied up and driven to the Bruthen walking trails which is very bushy. Unfortunately, I was in the shower at the time. The police never found any evidence but there was other DNA found on his jumper that did not belong to me or paul.(nothing else was done about that)..we suspect possible police or police thugs.
Paul has always pleaded not guilty, when they kidnapped him, when they were in the bushy area and said “” This is how its gonna go mate, you are gonna change your plea to guilty or we will come back and kill Linda and we will pin that one on you too (emphasis added) and if you go to cops, we will come back and kill her.
Police came and took our statements. Then I took paul to hospital advised by detective as ambulances were very busy that night.
Also the following week he had a seizure which I had to get an ambulance and we both stayed in hospital as I was to scared to be home alone as well.
But because he was convicted he never got to go to his neuroligist appointment in melbourne as he was in jail. So I had to cancel his appointment. He is also on heart meds and meds for blood clots which he doesnt get the doses at the correct time.
This trial is all based on circumstantial evidence with the prosecutor telling a story that hes made up convincingly enough for a jury.
Not only all this but the detective in charge of the murder case Brett smith in 2007, became the boss of the sexual offence unit at Knox police station, so he found an historical complaint from pauls first wife saying she believed paul had abused their daughter. Which at the time Vic police told her there was no evidence but the daughter was examined by a doctor which stated she was fine mentally emotionally physically.and she married Paul years after making a statement and eventually when they were divorced she happily let paul have access times with his son and daughter.
So in 2018 paul was then charged with sexual offence and got a suspended sentence but put on sex register for life. So now that also gives them grounds of a terrible reputation and reason for deportation.
But also during the legal process one minute the barrister was going to trial then then the next day we heard her crying saying paul should plead guilty to lesser charges then there will be no jail time.
Then just before he got arrested for the murder,, they arrested him for a breach of his sex register obligations which was not notifying them he had a pinterest account for which he was looming how to build a tear drop camper and he got a fine for $500 but that was all set up to bug his house while he was detained at a police station. There is also alot of other not so serious to include as well . But Im sure this is enough at the moment.
I can let you know what happens with the appeal conference next week once I know what happens next
Kind Regards
Linda
On Fri, Dec 8, 2023 at 6:13 PM linda barry [address redacted] wrote:
Dear Andrew,
Update of Paul
My partner Paul, had a conference with the appeal barrister and they have to have it filed before the 27th December 2023 ,which they are preparing to do.
But unfortunately, Paul has to be in a maximum-security prison for probably at least a year before it gets to court. He has been sent to Port Phillip prison in west of Melbourne, our lawyer said he will try to get him moved to Barwon prison as it is supposed to be a bit better there but it could take some time.
Then it goes before 3 judges and 2 out of 3 have to agree to the appeal then he will probably have to go through another trial with another Jury, which is so unfair after the media have dragged him through the mud, and how can they guarantee that jury members won’t look up the case. It doesn’t give you much faith or hope to get a not guilty verdict, but unfortunately there is nothing else we can do.
I can only hope his health and stress levels can last the distance of waiting.
I am very keen to purchase your book. Murder by the prosecutor as it looks as though I will be able to relate very well and maybe learn from the other stories as well.
Kind Regards
Linda
TO BE CONTINUED