Lawyers for the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions say they have new forensic evidence pertaining to the Winchester case (“Eastman argues against murder retrial as date set for next February”, February 12, p2).
Most would find this hard to believe, as much as they found it hard to believe a middle-aged ex-public servant (David Eastman) could have carried out a Mafia-type killing for the simple reason that Colin Winchester had refused to intervene in a charge and counter-charge of assault between two neighbours.
It was found by the latest inquiry to be a flawed conviction. Mr Eastman and the Canberra community are now being asked to stump up for another trial of a person who has already spent 19 years in jail. The DPP has a most lamentable record of securing convictions. They will not secure a conviction on what they produced recently and it will cost us another $10 million.
– Howard Carew, CLA member, Isaacs ACT