PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "The court was again closed briefly as Mr Georgiou raised the spectre of Mafia involvement in the killing during his hour-long opening address. It had closed briefly on Tuesday when the prosecution premptively rebutted the suggestion. "As a matter of logic, if Mr Eastman did not kill Mr Winchester someone else did," Mr Georgiou said when the court reopened to the public and media on Wednesday. "The defence does not have to prove who it was, however, on this case there is evidence that points to a reasonable possibility that Mr Winchester was killed by someone involved with, associated with or recruited by the Mafia." After the defence opening, prosecutors began a process of tendering documentary evidence on Mr Eastman's dealings with the public service. The trial continues."
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This Blog has been following and commenting on the Eastman case for years. As the retrial, now underway could last many months - unless, as I truly hope, the prosecution crashes and Eastman is finally freed of this enormous load, and exonerated. my approach will be to cover any opening addresses - to get an overall picture of the case - and then dip in from time to time when forensic issues of interest to this Blog arise.
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
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STORY: "David Eastman's lawyers raise questions about allegations against him," by reporters Alexandra Back and Michael Inman, published by The Canberra Times on June 20, 2018.
GIST: "Police
surveillance of David Harold Eastman when investigating the killing of
Canberra's police chief crossed the line and became harassment, his
lawyers told the jury in his murder trial on Wednesday. After more
than a day hearing from prosecutors who allege Mr Eastman, 73, shot
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester in his
car on January 10, 1989, it was the turn of his barristers to begin
mounting a defence. They
raised the spectre of Mafia involvement in the killing, in a move that
again caused the trial to be briefly closed to the public. Barrister George Georgiou SC said the former public servant made a "full and vigorous denial of the charge of murder". He
said Mr Eastman also denied saying that he wanted to kill Mr
Winchester, denied buying a Ruger 10/22 rifle from Louis Klarenbeek, and
denied trying to sell that rifle to Denis Reid. Other
threats allegedly made by Mr Eastman about police before Mr
Winchester's death were - if said - expressions of frustration, he said. "It is disputed and it is in issue that they reflected a murderous intent," Mr Georgiou said. The
trial earlier heard allegations Mr Eastman wanted to kill the "bastard
police" and that he told his doctor they should be taught a lesson. “Even
if they were said – [the words] 'police should be taught a lesson' –
fall far short of demonstrating an intention to kill Mr Winchester." Prosecutors
earlier in the trial alleged police bugs hidden in Mr Eastman's flat
caught him after the shooting whispering "He was the first man I ever
killed" and "I had to kill him sitting down". Mr
Georgiou said the jury members would need to decide for themselves if
the covertly recorded mutterings of Mr Eastman were in fact confessions. “The potential for error is high is when it comes to interpreting what is on those tapes," Mr Georgiou said. The
silk also asked the jury to consider the tapes in the context of Mr
Eastman's life at the time and his admitted "unhappy dealings" with
police. "The surveillance crossed the line and became harassment to Mr Eastman," the defence barrister told the jury. Mr Georgiou also challenged the Crown's theory about Mr Eastman's motive to kill Mr Winchester. The
Crown had pointed to a hatred of police and fear that a potential
criminal conviction over an altercation with a neighbour would have
stopped him returning to the public service. "The prosecution theory is strongly disputed. The alleged motive is strongly disputed," he said. “Such a theory ignores Mr Eastman's history of pursuing his rights." Mr Georgiou challenged whether a conviction meant Mr Eastman would never return to work." Even
the meeting with Mr Winchester in a bid to have the charge dropped was
not the "end of the line", he said, as the senior police officer had
informed Mr Eastman it was a question for the Director of Public
Prosecutions. There was no issue Mr Eastman was keen to return to
the public service, nor that he had a strong sense of grievance, Mr
Georgiou told the jury. But he reminded them Mr Eastman had in December
1988 been ruled fit to return, albeit with restrictions. The
extent the restrictions on his return would hinder Mr Eastman getting a
job was unknown, the barrister said, but it was strongly in dispute that
they were "significant". The court was again closed briefly as Mr
Georgiou raised the spectre of Mafia involvement in the killing during
his hour-long opening address. It had closed briefly on Tuesday when the prosecution premptively rebutted the suggestion. "As
a matter of logic, if Mr Eastman did not kill Mr Winchester someone
else did," Mr Georgiou said when the court reopened to the public and
media on Wednesday. "The
defence does not have to prove who it was, however, on this case there
is evidence that points to a reasonable possibility that Mr Winchester
was killed by someone involved with, associated with or recruited by the
Mafia." After the defence opening, prosecutors began a process of
tendering documentary evidence on Mr Eastman's dealings with the public
service. The trial continues."
The entire story can be found at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/c
