Darryl Beamish conviction to be appealed

28/6/02
A petition from Darryl Beamish against his 1961 conviction for the murder of Jillian Brewer has been referred to the Court of Criminal Appeal for hearing.
Attorney General Jim McGinty said today that he had referred the petition to the court after receiving the formal grounds of appeal from Mr Beamish earlier this month.
Mr McGinty said the outcome of John Button's appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeal was a significant and compelling factor in his decision to refer Mr Beamish's case for appeal.
"Much of the evidence on which Mr Beamish proposes to rely was accepted in Mr Button's case as raising serious doubts concerning the safety of his conviction," the Attorney General said.
"I believe it is essential in the interest of justice that Mr Beamish also has an opportunity to present to the court the evidence he now has which was not known, disclosed or available when he was convicted 41 years ago or at subsequent appeals."
Mr Beamish was sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment, for the December 1959 murder of Ms Brewer.
Minister's office: 9220 5000