PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Neill-Fraser's appeal bid has heard from a raft of witnesses including retired Victorian detective Colin McLaren, who was researching and interviewing people linked to the case for a book and documentary. Director of Public Prosecutions lawyer Daryl Coates has accused Mr McLaren of fabricating Ms Vass's April statement that she was on the boat. Mr McLaren said he drafted the statement but didn't make it up. Neill-Fraser was in 2010 found guilty of bludgeoning Mr Chappell and dumping him in the River Derwent. His body has never been found. Neill-Fraser has maintained her innocence but several appeals against her conviction have failed."
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STORY: "Judgment date in Neill-Fraser freedom bid," reported by AAP (Australian Associated Press) published By 9News on March 20, 2017.
GIST: "Hobart
woman Susan Neill-Fraser, who's in jail for killing her husband, will
soon find out whether she has the won the right to again appeal her
murder conviction. Neill-Fraser is serving 23
years' behind bars for killing Bob Chappell on the couple's Four Winds
yacht moored at Sandy Bay on Australia Day 2009. Neill-Fraser
will be granted leave to appeal if her legal team has managed to
convince a judge there is "fresh and compelling" evidence. Justice Michael Brett will deliver his judgment on whether that's occurred on Thursday afternoon in Hobart Supreme Court. Much
of Neill-Fraser's last-ditch freedom bid, that began in October 2017,
has centred around the whereabouts of then-homeless teenager Meaghan
Vass, who's DNA was found aboard the Four Winds yacht. Prior
to the appeal bid beginning in court, Vass signed a document saying she
was on the boat the night of the murder but backflipped when giving
evidence, telling the court it was not true and she put her name to it
under threats. The case was adjourned in
February for a decision but was re-opened earlier this month so a new
affidavit from Ms Vass about her whereabouts on January 26, 2009 could
be included. A
March edition of Channel Nine's 60 Minutes, shown on mainland Australia
but not in Tasmania, revealed Ms Vass had made a new affidavit. The case was set down for a mention on Thursday, but that was changed late on Wednesday to a judgment. Neill-Fraser's
appeal bid has heard from a raft of witnesses including retired
Victorian detective Colin McLaren, who was researching and interviewing
people linked to the case for a book and documentary. Director
of Public Prosecutions lawyer Daryl Coates has accused Mr McLaren of
fabricating Ms Vass's April statement that she was on the boat. Mr McLaren said he drafted the statement but didn't make it up. Neill-Fraser was in 2010 found guilty of bludgeoning Mr Chappell and dumping him in the River Derwent. His body has never been found. Neill-Fraser has maintained her innocence but several appeals against her conviction have failed."
The entire story can be read 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/
