Andrew L. Urban, Phillip Chapman
The conviction of Robert Xie for the blood-soaked, savage murder of five members of his wife’s family in 2009 took four trials, including the longest trial in NSW legal history for a single defendant, and over $1 million in costs to the taxpayer. But that conviction – going against his alibi and absent a motive – rests on just a couple of elements that the prosecution urged the jury to accept as reliable evidence, to negate Xie’s alibi. We examine the judge’s role. Continue reading