SUE NEILL FRASER —HOBART, TASMANIA
The news on the appeal of Sue Neill-Fraser against her conviction for the murder of her partner Bob Chappell by assaulting him and throwing him into the Derwent Channel, is that at last it is scheduled for 1 March in Hobart—Covid permitting.
Sue’s Leave to Appeal was granted well over a year ago, and was scheduled for March 2020, but like a lot of things scheduled in 2020, it did not proceed because Tom Percy QC, who is leading her legal team, all pro bono, lives in WA and could not attend. There was discussion about hearing it by video link, but this appeal, Sue’s last roll of the dice for freedom, is considered too important to risk details in evidence being missed because cameras are pointing in another direction.
It should be a lay down misère, as the key witness at the Appeal will be Meagan Vass, a young woman who, as a 15-yar-old homeless girl, was present on the yacht on the night Bob disappeared, along with two men intent on robbing the yacht until Bob woke up and challenged them. That went badly for Bob, as Meaghan has testified at the Application for Leave to Appeal back in 2019 and has told Australia, by appearing on 60 Minutes last year.
But the DPP is fighting tooth and nail to discredit Ms Vass and keep Sue exactly where she is—serving a life sentence for a crime she did not commit. If YOU have any lingering doubts, watch these clips from 60 Minutes interviews.
READ the whole case in my book, Death on the Derwent, available signed from me by contacting robinbowles@bigpond.com, or order in your local bookstore.
I’ll be at the Appeal in March (Covid permitting!) and will update you then.
