|
Wrongly
Convicted Database
Record
|
Years
Imprisoned:
|
15 |
Charge: |
Murder |
Sentence: |
Death commutted to life imprisonment |
Year Convicted: |
1961 |
Year
Cleared:
|
2005 |
Location
of Trial:
|
Australia |
Result:
|
Not Judicially Exonerated |
Summary
of Case:
|
Wrongly convicted of the 1959 axe murder of wealthy 22 year-old socialite Jillian Brewer. Sentenced to death. Beamish's conviction was based on his police pressured false confession. Serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke confessed to the murder in 1964. Beamish's death sentence was commuted to life. He was released in 1977 after 15 years imprisonment. On April 1, 2005, in the same Perth courthouse where he had been convicted and sentenced to death, the Western Australia Court of Criminal Appeals quashed his conviction. The 45 years between conviction and exoneration is the longest for anyone convicted in Australia. Beamish was inspired to file his sixth appeal after John Button was exonerated in 2002 of the 1963 death of his girlfriend. Serial killer Cooke had also confessed to the murder of Button's girlfriend, Jillian Brewer, before he was hanged in 1964. Journalist turned author Estelle Blackburn wrote about both cases in her 1998 book, Broken Lives. After Button's exoneration, Beamish was inspired to file his sixth appeal. After his conviction was quashed, Beamish said he was only interested in clearing his name, not in compensation. |
Conviction
Caused By:
|
False confession |
Innocence
Proved By:
|
The Western Australia Court of Criminal Appeals quashed his conviction on April 1, 2005.
|
Defendant
Aided By:
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Found? |
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Age
When Imprisoned:
|
18 |
Age
When Released:
|
33 |
Information Source 1: |
After 45 Years, Deaf Mute Cleared of Axe Murder, Sydney Morning Herald, April 1, 2005 |
Information
Location 1:
|
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/04/01/1112302213642.html?from=top5# |
Information
Source 2:
|
Broken Lives by Estelle Blackburn |
Information
Location 2:
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http://www.margaret-river-online.com.au/brokenlives/ |
Information
Source 3:
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Information
Location 3:
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Information
Source 4:
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Information
Location 4:
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Information
Source 5:
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Information
Location 5:
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Ethnicity/Skin:
|
White |
Book
About
Case:
|
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Book
Information:
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Book About Case (2): |
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Book Information (2): |
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Movie About Case: |
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Comments About Case: |
Falsely confessed |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org