Andrew L. Urban.
A man, without a single other legal blemish, convicted of historical sexual abuse of a little girl in his family, 22 years before, believes he could prove his innocence if the NSW Attorney General advised the Governor to act on his petition and referred his case for a judicial review – as it was recently done for Kathleen Folbigg, convicted of murdering her children. But he has been refused and given no reason. Continue reading
Andrew L. Urban.
At a hearing in Hobart today, the prosecution told the court that key murder witness in the Sue Neill-Fraser case, Meaghan Vass, had said ‘No comment’ to everything put to her by police when she was picked up for questioning on Thursday March 7. In other words, Vass did not recant.
This prosecution statement of facts appears to contradict the earlier statement issued by police after the 60 Minutes interview in which Vass admitted to being on board Four Winds and witnessing the murder of Bob Chappell on Australia Day 2009. We reported it on March 12 here: Assistant Commissioner Richard Cowling said police re-interviewed Ms Vass last week when the program’s promotional material suggested a new version of events.
The version of events given by Ms Vass on 60 Minutes is contrary to her previous police interview, contrary to her sworn evidence in court and contrary to last week’s police interview,” Commander Cowling said. (emphasis added.) A close friend of Vass’ commented: “I don’t know what the cops are talking about.”
The prosecution’s statement also corrects the false impression created by the story in The Australian published on Monday, April 14, 2019 by Matthew Denholm, headlined Yacht murder witness changes her tune again – that Vass had recanted her admission to police in the previous few days.
Vass was in court today facing two charges of possession (marijuana), a result of police searching her bag when she was picked up. A conviction was recorded. She now goes back into rehab on the mainland.
TasPol was asked to comment, and replied: “…as the matter is before the courts, we are unable to comment.”
Andrew L. Urban.
Yesterday’s story by Matthew Denholm in The Australian (‘Yacht murder witness changes her tune again’) does not refer to any new statement made by Meaghan Vass in the matter of Sue Neill-Fraser, but is a repeat of the police statement of March 11. ‘Again’ is a reference to the earlier claims by police, Denholm explains, to describe how Vass had recanted once before (in court, in October 2017). Continue reading
Andrew L. Urban.
The key witness in the Sue Neill-Fraser case, Meaghan Vass, has today denied claims attributed to police in today’s The Australian that she has recanted her 60 Minutes testimony admitting she was on board Four Winds at the crime scene on Australia Day 2009. She names a Tasmanian detective she believes may be behind the latest move to discredit her, if the story originated from TasPol. Continue reading
Andrew L. Urban.
The so-far secret review of the Henry Keogh case conducted between 2003 and 2006 by then Solicitor General Chris Kourakis (now Chief Justice) will finally be made public, following a far reaching decision by a trio of Victorian supreme court judges, delivered today. Continue reading
Andrew L. Urban.
Sue Neill-Fraser, Australia Day 2009
Fully 99% of the 85,000 pageviews on this blog in the past two months were of stories about the Sue Neill-Fraser case. In that period, we published 24 new articles on the case (60 articles altogether). Average time spent reading each page was over 3 minutes. Comments on these pages run into the hundreds.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of pageviews were generated by readers in Australia, but there were hundreds of readers all over the world, notably the US, the UK, New Zealand, Canada and Japan, as well as readers in (among other places) Brazil, Sweden, Ukraine, Solomon Islands, Hungary, Cambodia and even the Dominican Republic – with 2 readers.
In America, the Charles Smith Blog follows the case through our articles and the Sue Neill-Fraser deep archives of Networked Knowledge (published by legal academic Dr Bob Moles) contain references, detailed information and links to all the cases we report.
Our first report on the Neill-Fraser case, Another Lindy Chamberlain miscarriage of justice, was published on August 15, 2013 – five days short of the 4th anniversary of her arrest.
Sue Neill-Fraser could be freed … IF … a hypothetical by legal academic Dr Bob Moles*. Continue reading
Our readers are angry. They want her released NOW. The long simmering sentiment is fuelled by Meaghan Vass’ eye witness testimony : obviously she didn’t do it, they say. This in spite of the upcoming appeal against her conviction for the murder of her partner, Bob Chappell, on Australia Day 2009. Continue reading
Andrew L. Urban
In 2012, following her 2010 conviction for the murder of Bob Chappell on their yacht on Australia Day 2009, Sue Neill-Fraser’s appeal against the verdict was refused by Crawford CJ, Tennent and Porter JJ. In light of a new appeal to be heard later this year, it is instructive to look at (some of) the reasons behind that refusal. Continue reading
Andrew L. Urban
Meaghan Vass (fb 2019)
When Meaghan Vass finally identified herself to the court in March 2019 as an eye witness to Bob Chappell’s 2009 murder, confirming the evidence of her DNA at the crime scene, the prosecution’s circumstantial case against Sue Neill-Fraser fell apart. The new appeal is due to be heard later this year, but Vass has already changed everything. Continue reading
