Mercury (Hobart)

Top cop defends SNF case

- • CAMERON WHITELEY

TASMANIA’S top cop has weighed in to ongoing debate about Sue Neill-Fraser’s murder conviction, saying supporters of the convicted killer were making “selective arguments” and that he had confidence in the investigat­ion and legal process.

Tasmania Police Commission­er Darren Hine on Friday put out a strongly-worded statement, amid calls for NeillFrase­r’s latest appeal to be reopened.

“Hobart man Bob Chappell was murdered in 2009 by his then partner Susan Neill-Fraser on board their yacht moored in the Derwent River — those are the facts,’’ Commission­er Hine said.

Mr Hine said Neill-Fraser was convicted by a jury in the Supreme Court and her appeal was dismissed by the Court of Criminal Appeal and the Coroner supported the findings.

“Whatever selective arguments are made by her support group or sensationa­list tabloidsty­le national media programs, the fact remains that based on the evidence Neill-Fraser was convicted by a jury of murdering Mr Chappell,’’ he said.

“Neill-Fraser’s second appeal is being considered by the Court and I would like to make it very clear that I fully support the legal process and remain absolutely confident in the integrity, thoroughne­ss and profession­alism of the original and subsequent Tasmania Police investigat­ion teams.”

Neill-Fraser’s supporters are campaignin­g to have the appeal reopened. Their cause was bolstered on Tuesday with Mersey MLC Mike Gaffney tabling “critical papers” in the Legislativ­e Council, penned by barrister Hugh Selby and exintegrit­y Commission CEO Barbara Etter.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Australia