Man wrongly jailed by Australian court for 19 years gets big payout

David Eastman, an Australian man was wrongfully jailed for 19 years over the murder of Colin Winchester, an Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner, has received A$ 7 million which equals 3.7 million pounds or 4.8 million dollars as a payout. At a retrial last year, the 74-year-old was not found guilty even though he had reportedly pleaded guilty back in 1993 and instead received a life sentence. The Australian Capital Territory government had offered Eastman $3.8 million as an 'act of grace' payment but he had rejected the offer. In a statement made to the court, Eastman had also publicly detailed for the first time the abuse and beating he had faced in prison. 

READ: Australia: Mitch Marsh Injures Bowling Hand After Punching Wall

Appeals failed

Eastman claimed that he has lost the opportunity to have a family and a career because of imprisonment. He also said that his mother and two younger sisters had also died during that time. At the time of the murder, Eastman had allegedly sent threats to police over the handling of an earlier criminal matter and therefore became an early suspect. He spent 19 years fighting his conviction, having launched appeals in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2008, all of which failed. 

READ: Tim Paine Turns Super Man,takes Flying Catch Against Western Australia

Coolin Winchester

Coolin Winchester in January 1989 was shot twice in the head with a semi-automatic rifle. At the time of his murder, it was alleged that Winchester was corrupt and had handled bribes relating to a Canberra Illegal Casino. There were reported rumors about the involvement of the powerful Calabrian Mafia, who Winchester had double-crossed in a 1980's undercover sting that brought down their cannabis crops in New South Wales. However, the focus shifted to Eastman and in 1995 Eastman was tried and convicted of the murder of Winchester and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. After Eastman's release, Winchester's murder remains a mystery. 

(With inputs from agencies)

READ: Justin Langer Unsure If Steve Smith Wants Australia Captaincy Back

READ: RCEP: Piyush Goyal Meets Australian Trade Minister Simon In Bangkok