David Eastman is facing a retrial for his 1995 conviction of the killing of federal police officer Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester in 1989. Mr Eastman’s original conviction was quashed in August and he was released from jail. This is happening even though a lot of the evidence that convicted Eastman has disappeared or has since been found to be highly questionable. Authorities are also sitting on a large file suggesting that the mafia killed Mr Winchester.
Even the Italians believe that the Mafia killed Winchester – linked to 2 other murders
It has been suggested for many years that the mafia were involved in Colin Winchester’s murder as well as the murders of Donald Mackay and federal police officer Geoffrey Bowen. The Australian reported last year in an article titled “Mafia ‘certainly’ killed AFP assistant commissioner Colin Winchester”:
“Vincenzo Macri, former deputy chief of the National Anti-Mafia Directorate in Italy, said he believed Winchester was “certainly” murdered by the Calabrian organised crime group known as the ‘Ndrangheta, adding that he based his belief mainly on Australian police sources.”
“He said he based his belief largely on police sources from Operation Cerberus, a joint state-federal taskforce that targeted Italian organised crime in the early 1990s.”
“Asked his opinion of Eastman’s conviction, he declined to answer. But he said he believed the Winchester murder was carried out by the same organisation that murdered Griffith anti-drug campaigner Donald Mackay in 1977 and federal police officer Geoffrey Bowen in 1994. Bowen was involved in Operation Cerberus when he was killed by a letter-bomb at the NCA’s Adelaide office, a crime that remains unsolved despite a coronial finding that it was organised by convicted criminal Dominic Perre.”
“Mr Macri said Australian authorities should conduct an inquiry encompassing all three murders.” (Click here to read more)
The federal police have a file with evidence pointing to the mafia being responsible for killing Colin Winchester and that file should be made public. The ACT DPP has viewed the file but it is time everyone knew what was in it otherwise we will continue to have a case that has some similarities to the JFK conspiracy and cover-up, just on a smaller scale and in Australia.
The 1992 arrest of David Eastman for the 1989 murder of Colin Winchester
Background
I wrote about Eastman’s release in September. (Click here to read) Since then it has been a waiting game to see if the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) would move ahead with a retrial or drop the case. A few days ago it was announced the DPP would proceed to retry the case. (Click here to read more)
Eastman applies for a permanent stay of the case
Eastman’s lawyers announced that they would seek a stay order (permanently stop proceedings against him) (Click here to read more) on the basis that he would be denied justice given several witnesses have died and evidence lost etc. These types of orders rarely succeed except in “special or exceptional circumstances”. (Click here to read more)
A lot of worried people – Justice Michael Adams and his defamation case
There are a lot of people in government and the law enforcement fraternity very worried that if David Eastman walks and is not retried then authorities might come knocking on their doors for answers. One such person is Michael Adams who is now a NSW Supreme Court judge.
Justice Michael Adams who was the prosecutor is the 1995 Eastman trial is still suing Fairfax Media and journalist Jack Waterford for defamation because they alleged Adams acted corruptly when he prosecuted Eastman. I can vouch for Justice Adams being corrupt as I have seen his handiwork in court. (Click here to read more) The defamation case seems to be going nowhere fast.
It was instituted by Adams in March 2013 and was set down for another directions hearing in the Federal Court on November 14, 2014. What happened I do not know as the Federal Court has not updated the records but based on previous hearings the delaying game is being played. As a side note the judge hearing the case is Justice Rares who was also one of the judges who quashed Eastman’s conviction.
Maybe a retrial is the best way to get to the truth
If the case does end up being retried it can never reveal all the truth as many people have passed away since the murder. But a retrial is probably the only way to get close to the truth. The federal police are not doing anything about investigating the matter further or even entertaining that someone else other than Eastman killed Colin Winchester. The matter has a long way to go and looks like getting stuck in the courts for another couple of years. Hopefully we will end up getting somewhere close to the truth.
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Categories: Australian Federal Police, Justice Michael Adams
Well, a long list of stuff-ups by the AFP indicates that they have not learnt much over the years. So easy to focus on Eastman. I’d like to see how much effort they put into widening their inquiries on those three murders over the years. Incompetence seems to be a fair description.
What a Mess .. !!!
Double Jeopardy?!
http://www.doublejeopardyreform.org/
KCA has an absolutely unique role in exposing corrupt behaviour at every level of our institutions which are meant to prevent what David Eastman has endured. Here is one example in an entirely different and minor context compared with Eastman’s, but it demonstrates the entrenched dangers of all bureaucracies and other internecine groups. The description is from an informed, senior medical specialist describing events which affected my career. This is HIS statement:
“It is now nearly 28 years since you were dismissed (from a senior hospital post in Sydney). Though remaining registered to practice, you have been unable to work since. You have never had an adverse finding made against you. Your employment records have been destroyed. They won’t allow you even to enter the Sydney Children’s Hospital precinct other than as a member of the public.”
God help Eastman.
Looks like the AFP are trying to copy the Canadian mounted police “always get their man” unlike the Mounties it doesn’t matter if it’s the wrong man. The trouble with this country their are too many innocents in jail and too many crooks running free outside. Smacks of incompetence or corruption doesn’t it. Like Jack said God help Eastman, if their is a God. Allan from myalup.WA.
Alway laugh when I remember the scorn shown for AFP in international peacekeeping circles … Australia’s Fattest Police. Anyway, you got the wrong bloke, fellas! Keep looking!