Date:
IT'S MURDER! Edward
Splatt was charged with the murder of Mrs Simper, a 77 year-old
Adelaide woman who had been badly beaten, sexually assaulted and
strangled in her bedroom.
The only evidence leading to the identification of the accused was the
scientific evidence. No one had ever seen Splatt with the deceased or
in her house.
Splatt was wrongfully convicted of the
murder in 1978. His appeals were unsuccessful. Having exhausted the
usual legal avenues, Splatt took extraordinary measures while in jail
to write about his case and capture the interest of award winning
journalist Stewart Cockburn of The Advertiser. Cockburn managed to
galvanise public opinion, which forced the Government of South
Australia to examine the claims made by Cockburn and others that the
forensic evidence had been mishandled.
Now, at last, the full story is told.
FLAWED FORENSICS: The Splatt Case and Stewart Cockburn
by Tom Mann
‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’
—Martin Luther King Jr
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‘A
classic tale in the genre of real crime, dealing with one of the most
important cases in the legal history of Australia … on a par with the
Lindy Chamberlain case,’ writes Dr Bob Moles (LLB), a leading
campaigner and advocate in cases of miscarriage of justice.
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In
prison, instead of disappearing into a well of despair, Splatt took to
writing. He wrote letters to anyone he thought might be able to help,
including Stewart Cockburn, a journalist with The Advertiser. The more
Cockburn examined the case, the more convinced he became that this case
might constitute a serious miscarriage of justice.
Stewart Cockburn
Cockburn
wrote a number of major pieces for the newspaper expressing his views,
which led to the setting up of a Royal Commission. 
Edward (Ted) Splatt
Finally,
after a lengthy Royal Commission, Judge Shannon from NSW found no
substantial evidence to support the conviction. Splatt was released and
compensated for the miscarriage of justice. "Well,
I tell you, one of the most diabolical things about being wrongly
convicted is that everybody, no matter who you are they're going to say
you're guilty anyhow, because the system said you were guilty and once
the system says you're guilty, that's it. The system must be right.
Where there's smoke there's fire. You know?"
— Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter |
What the readers say: "A
case widely recognized throughout the world for its conviction based
entirely on circumstantial evidence. ... Well written,
balanced and a terrific insight into the whole thing … the complexities
expressed with admirable clarity. A remarkable achievement. "
— Bob Moles
"A
vital matter that we put these things on record … a vital and valuable
contribution. ... May it be long read and even longer heeded and
remembered."
— Graham Archer, Channel Seven and Today Tonight producer
"I couldn’t put it down.
— Trish Carey, avid crime reader
"A riveting read."
— Heather Britton, writer and editor
"The
book is fantastic. I have really enjoyed it to be honest. I
am totally impressed with the book."
— Bridget Haniford, friend of the Splatt family
"A very well written book."
— Crown prosecutor in the Splatt case, Mr Anthony Bishop
Available as an immediately downloadable ebook
PDF format, 281 pages Now
you, too, can read this fascinating and, indeed, important account of
one man's struggle and determination not to give in and another's quest
for justice.
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